Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 14 July 2011. Volume:674;Page:20117. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
8. 
GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What progress has been made in achieving first specialist assessment for patients referred from general practitioners in the last two years? 
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) 
: 
 Great progress. Advice from the Ministry of Health shows that over the past 2 calendar years over 60000 extra patients have received a first specialist assessment. More people are being seen sooner and significantly fewer people are waiting longer than 6 months to see a specialist. 
Grant Robertson 
: Is the Auditor-General wrong then when she said that in the last 2 years up to 15 percent of people were not being seen within the 6-month deadline for first specialist assessment? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: The number of people waiting for over 6 months for their first specialist assessment is lower than when that party left office. 
Grant Robertson 
: Does he stand by his statement in this House in February that his Government will not fix the problems of waiting times by sending people a letter saying they have been culled from the waiting list in light of a letter I have dated 12 June 2011 to 3-year-old Joshua Stevens from Palmerston North telling him that he had been cut from the list of those waiting for a specialist assessment? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Without having the full details of that letter I cannot comment. But I say that that pales in significance to the 30000 people who were culled from waiting lists when that party was in Government. 
Michael Woodhouse 
: What has been the history in the delivery of first specialist assessments over the last decade and why are they important to patients? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: First specialist assessments are often the gateway to improved surgery or to getting surgery in the public health service. Under the previous Government the number of people getting to see a hospital specialist went backwards because it did not keep up with population growth. There has been a remarkable increase under this Government: over the last 2 calendar years 60000 extra patients have seen a hospital specialist. More people are being assessed for important issues like respiratory pain heart trouble and abdominal trouble. 
Grant Robertson 
: Does he stand by his statement in this House that his Government will not fix the problems of waiting times by sending people a letter saying that they have been culled from the waiting list in light of this letter dated 4 July to a Wellingtonian cutting him from the waiting list to see an ear nose and throat specialist? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: My experience of Opposition members is that one has to check the facts of the letters they table and it is always interesting. But none of that compares with the 30000 people who were culled from waiting lists under the previous Government. Under this Government 60000 extra people get to see a hospital specialist—400 extra New Zealanders a week— 
Grant Robertson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I did ask whether the Minister stood by the statement. I guess I could interpret he was saying yes but I could not really get that from the answer and then it was sort of going on into nothing. So if he could answer the question that would be helpful. 
Hon Shane Jones 
: The void! 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Hon Shane Jones can see further than that. It is difficult when a Minister starts out by saying: “The problem with another party is something.” or however the Minister started his reply. It is not a very helpful way to start an answer. He could have indicated whether he does stand by his statement. Because of the nature of the question clearly it is very difficult for the Minister to answer questions relating to specific cases. But I will ask the Minister please not to commence an answer by saying that the question has a problem—unless the question is highly provocative. That one was not unduly provocative. 
Grant Robertson 
: Does he stand by his statement in this House that his Government will not fix the problems of waiting times by sending people a letter saying they have been culled from the waiting list in light of the case of a woman from Wellington who had already been given an appointment time to see a gastroenterologist only to receive a letter last week telling her that she had been cut from the waiting list? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Of course we stand by that statement because this Government is making sure that more people are getting appointments. But I say that we have learnt from members opposite that until we check the full details of what they table they should never necessarily be relied upon. 
Grant Robertson 
: I seek leave of the House to table a letter from MidCentral District Health Board dated 12 June 2011 to Joshua Stevens which tells him he has been cut from the waiting list. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Grant Robertson 
: I seek leave of the House— 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Have you got people’s permission? 
Grant Robertson 
: Of course I have— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: A point of order has been called. 
Grant Robertson 
: I seek leave of the House to table a letter from the Capital and Coast District Health Board dated 4 July 2011 that culls a patient from the waiting list for an ear nose and throat specialist. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Annette King 
: Is he aware that people waiting for first specialist assessments were not counted until Labour became the Government because the National Government refused to count them in the 1990s? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: I am not in a position to confirm that. But I can confirm that under ministerial instruction 30000 people were culled from hospital waiting lists under the previous Government many of whom had been promised an operation.