King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKing Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 27 August 2013. Volume:693;Page:12936. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.Hon ANNETTE KING (Labour—Rongotai) to theMinister of Health: Do all district health boards have sufficient resources to provide safe quality health services?Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health): Yes. My objective is that all patients receive high-quality care. This is helped by having over 2500 more nurses employed by district health boards across the country under our Government. As the member knowsfrom time to time as we have seen in the Hutt Valley story in today’sDominion Post during the winter season of heavy demand and staff illnesses there are periods of extra pressure on staff.Hon Annette King: In light of that answer has he seen the press release a few moments ago from the New Zealand Nurses Organisation stating that the practice of care rationing to patients “is widespread asDHBs and the nursing team are forced to do more with fewer staff and less money.” and that “Fiscal constraints are creating a ‘a head in the sand approach’ to staffing issues in our hospitals.”; if so when will he get his head out of the sand or wherever it is and listen to our valuable health professionals?Hon TONY RYALL: I have not seen that press release from the nurses union but what I do know is that in the term of this Government there are now 2500 extra nurses working in our district health boards together with extra funding averaging $500 million a year.Hon Annette King: Has he been informed that acute mental health community services over all five localities atWaitematā District Health Board are required to reduce their expenditure by $1 million this year with 16 positions to be lost because of budget constraints; if so what impact will these cuts have on patients?Hon TONY RYALL: I am aware that theWaitematā District Health Board is looking at how it can best arrange its services in that community and that is the reason why this Government gave it an extra $31 million in this year’s Budget a total of $226 million extra for theWaitematā District Health Board over the last 5 years.Hon Annette King: In light of that answer has he been told that the acute response in forensic mental health services atWaitematā District Health Board is required to save $250000 this year and that the staffing at the adult in-patient units is to be reviewed to save $305000 this year; if so what impact would these cuts have on patients?Hon TONY RYALL: I do not have the exact details of those changes but what I do know is that this year we have given theWaitematā District Health Board an extra $31 million and in the last 5 years it has employed 143 extra doctors and 302 extra nurses onto the front line of health care on the North Shore and West Auckland.Hon Annette King: In light of that answer has he been told that community alcohol and drug staffing atWaitematā District Health Board is to be reduced to save $436000 this year and that an NGO provider is to have its contract reduced by $232000 this year; if so what impact will this have on patients?Hon TONY RYALL: Because we are giving theWaitematā District Health Board an extra $31 million this year I am fully expecting that services will improve in those areas. This Government is focused on delivering more care for patients. That is one of the reasons that we have over 300 extra nurses and 143 extra doctors at theWaitematā District Health Board and that patients no longer wait 3 days on hospital trolleys in corridors under bright fluorescent lights in the emergency department.Hon Annette King: Has he been told that administration support for mental health services atWaitematā District Health Board is to be cut by 25 percent to save $1.19 million and budgeted sick leave is to be reduced from 10 days to 7 days to save $260000 and do all these cuts measure up to his promise of better mental health services for people inWaitematā?Hon TONY RYALL: I have never had an Opposition MP talking about cuts to administration and being opposed to them before. We are right behind any reductions in administrative staff and having the money put into better services for patients with the extra $226 million that we have put intoWaitematā District Health Board providing more services for patients.