King Annette: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKing Annette: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 05 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:3141. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]9.Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) to the Minister of Health: Are New Zealanders who require elective surgery receiving it in a timely manner?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health): Yes the number of elective surgeries has increased by 44000 a year in the last 6 years under this Government—a remarkable turn-round given that elective surgeries fell by 2000 between the years of 2000 and 2006. By doing more and more operations the number of New Zealanders waiting over 6 months has reduced from nearly 7000 New Zealanders in 2006 to a handful today.Hon Annette King: In light of that answer why did Dr John Cullen a highly respected clinical leader at Waitematā District Health Board tell the chief executive officer less than 1 month ago that in addition to raising the threshold at which people can get an operation that leads to clinical risk “The situation is controlled by the use of a suspended list.”?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: If any member reads that article in the New Zealand Herald on Saturday morning they will know that Mr Cullen then retracted his statement. Over the last 6 years at Waitematā District Health Board elective surgery has increased by 51 percent. That is a total of 6500 more operations every year 21000 extra operations for people in that district health board area in total and we have delivered more than 13000 more first appointments there. The answer to increased demand is to do more operations and nationally we have done 44000 more operations and delivered 50000 more first specialist appointments—a lot better than that person’s record when she—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Hon Annette King: I seek leave to table a letter from Dr John Cullen clinical leader Waitematā District Health Board dated 10 April 2015 entitled “An impossible situation” setting out why the management of both elective and acute surgery is increasingly difficult.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The document has been described. It is a letter by Dr John Cullen. Is there any objection to that document being tabled? There is not. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Annette King: Why did Dr John Cullen send an email to the chief executive officer of Waitematā District Health Board on 10 April 2015 saying that the operations manager of orthopaedic surgery is concerned at the potential adverse publicity following the return of patients to their general practitioner even after they were given certainty for surgery?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: The member would have to ask Mr Cullen that but he has actually since retracted his statement. What we do know is that those people who were sent back to their general practitioner went back because there was incomplete information in the referral because more testing was needed and also very importantly because surgery was not appropriate. This member is trying to make something out of nothing but what remains is that we are doing more surgery at Waitematā District Health Board and providing more appointments whereas that member actually provided fewer.Hon Annette King: I seek leave to table the email from Dr John Cullen dated 10 April 2015 raising concerns about sending patients back to their general practitioner after being given certainty—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Leave is sought to table that particular email. Is there any objection? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Annette King: Is he aware that district health boards are either raising the threshold at which patients can get surgery or introducing measures such as suspended lists and patient pathways in an effort to meet the Government’s targets which are virtually impossible to meet with the financial resources they have?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Look that is completely incorrect. The information I have is that there are no hidden lists. What I can tell you is that people go back to their general practitioner because surgery is not appropriate because the referral is incomplete or because they need more testing. But we are doing 44000 more operations and 50000 more appointments so more surgery more appointments—a lot better than that member’s record.Hon Annette King: Is another way to manage the waiting lists to refer patients back to their general practitioner like the Taranaki District Health Board which has increased the number of people refused an orthopaedic first specialist assessment by 142 percent under the last 3 years of this Government?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: What I do know is that that data is very incomplete. But what is a fact is that there have been 1216 more electives performed in Taranaki under this Government and there has been a 5000 cumulative increase in first specialist appointments unlike when Annette King was Minister when—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member has completed his answer as far as I am concerned.Hon Annette King: I seek leave to table an Official Information Act release from the Taranaki District Health Board dated 19 March 2015 showing a 142 percent increase over the last 3 years of letters refusing first specialist appointments for people wanting orthopaedic surgery.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that particular Official Information Act release. Is there any objection? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: I seek leave to table a document showing that we are doing 1216 more electives a year in Taranaki and delivered—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I need the source of the document and the date.Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: This is current information compiled by health officials. You will not find it anywhere else so I suggest—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Is it very recent information?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Very recent.Mr SPEAKER: I will put the leave.Hon Members: What’s the date?Mr SPEAKER: It is very recent. That will do on this occasion. [Interruption] Order! The members themselves can decide. I will put the leave. Leave is sought to table this—[Interruption] Order! Leave is sought to table this particular information from the Ministry of Health of a recent date. Is there any objection?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: It is compiled by health officials including advisers and the date is today.Mr SPEAKER: That is of assistance. We have now dated it to be today. Is there any objection to it being tabled? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption]Hon Annette King: You show yours and I’ll show mine.Mr SPEAKER: I have no intention I can assure you.