6. Question No. 6—HealthHon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National) to the Minister of HealthQuestion No. 6—Health6. Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National) to the Minister of Health: Has he received any advice regarding the number of health procedures unrelated to COVID-19 that did not take place as planned due to COVID-19; if so what is his best estimate of the number of these procedures?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health): As I explained to the member previously Budget 2020 included a one-off investment of $282.5 million to fund a planned care catch-up campaign following disruption caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic. Preliminary data suggests that approximately 8500 elective and acute in-patient surgeries 11200 minor surgeries 11800 scans and 3200 endoscopy procedures were deferred. I'm advised that the Budget 2020 funding will more than cover that level of deferred care.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Has he seen the report of the Cancer Control Agency that concludes there were more than a thousand fewer cancer registrations in April 2020 compared with the same period last year and a third fewer curative cancer surgeries?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I have seen that report. I've also seen it's about 500 overall behind this year because of that month in April setting back the number of diagnostics. It's true that there has been a global pandemic and that the Government is prioritising catch-up. It's also good that cancer diagnostics were running ahead of previous years before the lockdown this year.Hon Michael Woodhouse: What is the Government's acceptable number of lives lost or shortened because of non-COVID health conditions during the lockdown?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I'm advised that in fact clinicians are doing a very good job of prioritising the care needed. Of course if people needed urgent care during the lockdown they were able to get it.Hon Michael Woodhouse: So is it his position that non - COVID-related morbidity and death was unaffected by the lockdown?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I'm advised that clinicians have been prioritising care appropriately. It is impossible actually to make that judgment at this stage but I guess we have the international comparison where countries that did not go hard and go early that did not have a team of 5 million have far worse outcomes still have restrictions on access to hospital care and are likely to do so for many months to come. I want to thank the hard-working clinicians that have made our response so successful by international comparison and the New Zealanders who have worked so hard and made sacrifices to make that happen too.Hon Michael Woodhouse: What firm plans if any have district health boards made to clear the publicly funded backlog of elective surgery?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: The DHBs are making detailed plans to ensure that they are delivering more care for more people; indeed year on year they have been doing that every year under this Government and I'm sure that the $3.92 billion record investment that this Government has put in in this Budget into DHBs will also make a significant difference. This Government has followed on from another Government that neglected the health system for nine years that underfunded it and as a consequence as we've put more money in we've seen 1500 more nurses than when we took office we've seen 900 more doctors we've seen 600 more allied health workers and we're seeing more care for more people. I thank the member for the opportunity to outline the progress that is being made.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Well if a detailed plan for clearing elective surgeries does exist will he make it public?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: The DHBs of course have an annual planning process under way that will provide extraordinary detail on what they will be doing in the year ahead and that will be of course public as it is every year.