Scott Lynda: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Scott Lynda: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:606;Page:3487] 
12.  
Dr LYNDA SCOTT (NZ National—Kaikoura) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: When was she informed that Capital and Coast District Health Board underspent $1.7 million on cardiac surgery in the 2001/02 year and how many of the eight patients who have died in the last three years could have been saved by having their surgery in a private hospital? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
: 
 I was informed 2 months ago. Of the eight patients who died while waiting for cardiothoracic surgery in the past 3 years seven died when Capital and Coast Health was subcontracting cardiac operations to the private hospitals including Wakefield Mercy and Ascot. It is always tragic when somebody dies but we do know that the figure of eight who died in the last 3 years is considerably lower than the 26 who died in the 3 years before we became the Government. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: If that is the case why did the Minister criticise Capital and Coast Health and has the Ministry of Health set guidelines stating that a 1 percent death rate for those waiting for heart surgery is acceptable; if not where is the evidence—which John Coughlan general manager of Wellington Hospital seems to think exists—that states that eight deaths are an acceptable level? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I did not criticise Capital and Coast Health. I pointed out to them that this Government is not opposed to the use of private facilities when there is lack of capacity in the public sector. The level of 1 percent deaths in terms of cardiac surgery is not something that has been set by the Government. It happens to be the international standard. I would have thought that the member would know that. 
Steve Chadwick 
: Has there been an increase in the number of cardiac procedures provided by Capital and Coast District Health Board since 1996? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Yes. Cardiac procedures have more than doubled from 1996 to 2002 with an increase of 404 procedures in 1996 and 996 in 2002. 
Pita Paraone 
: Can the Minister ensure that the recent letter that Capital and Coast District Health Board mailed to 160 patients on the cardiac surgery waiting list assuring them that by August nobody will wait longer than 6 months for surgery will be sufficient to avoid further deaths among those awaiting cardiac surgery given that this is in effect 12 months from now? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Capital and Coast Health has advised me that it is very confident it will be able to provide cardiac surgery for all those people it has written to within the 6 months. 
Heather Roy 
: Why when in an oral question in this House on 13 February last year ACT’s Ken Shirley predicted that heart patients would die on the waiting list did she still permit the cancellation of the heart surgery contract with Wakefield Hospital and is she now criticising the board for not using private hospitals to avoid all responsibility herself? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: No I am not. I raised the issue of it being able to use private capacity because of the misinformation that constantly comes from ACT saying that this Government is philosophically opposed to it. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Following the Minister’s intervention to try to resolve the issue of the long cardiac surgery waiting lists at Capital and Coast District Health Board will she take a similarly proactive stance with the six district health boards that are still refusing to sign a pharmacy agreement and make good on her promise last December that any district health board that refuses to sign the pharmacy agreement will have its pharmaceutical budget managed by the Ministry of Health; if so when will this happen: if not why not? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I am quite happy with the progress that has been made by the six district health boards in relation to their negotiations on the pharmacy contract. 
Judy Turner 
: Is the Minister aware of any other district health boards that have deviated from their nominated budgets resulting in underspending and a reduction of services and treatment in their regions? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Boards have the ability to under-deliver on some things and over-deliver on others. For example although Capital and Coast Health spent $1.7 million less on cardiac operations it over-provided by $2 million in the following areas: general surgery orthopaedic surgery haematology paediatrics and cardiology—which the member will know includes angioplasty which is an alternative form of treatment for patients with cardiac disease.  
Dr Lynda Scott 
: Will she conduct a full inquiry into who was responsible for making the decision that $1.7 million would not be spent on 70 to 100 lifesaving operations for patients; why 58 patients have been waiting more than 6 months for surgery in Wellington 83 in Christchurch and 40 in Auckland; and why the annual plan of the Capital and Coast states as an achievement the fact that it has brought all surgery in-house? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: No I will not carry out an inquiry on that matter. I have read the member’s press release. She wants an inquiry because they were not done in private hospitals. Of the eight people who died five died in 2000-01 when surgery was being carried out in Wakefield Mercy and Ascot hospitals. Two people died when it was being carried out in Wakefield Hospital. One person has died since it was brought in-house. That compares much more favourably than the 26 people who died in the 3 years before we became the Government. 
Stephen Franks 
: Did the ministry concur with the decision of Capital and Coast Health not to renew the cardiac surgery contract with Wakefield Hospital when the Minister and her ministry knew that Capital and Coast Health’s waiting list had grown from 87 to 225 over 15 months under her rule; that the number of people on the waiting list who were there for longer than 6 months had grown from 16 to 52; and that her own Health Strategy 2000 bound district health boards to ensure that no one waited more than 6 months; and was the political credit from sticking it to private enterprise worth the eight deaths that should be on her hands? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: No. There are not eight deaths on my hands. In the 15 months that Capital and Coast Health has not had a contract with the private sector one person has died which compares with the seven who died when it did have a contract with the private sector. That makes a mockery of using such figures for emotional blackmail in this House. Twenty-six people died in the 3 years before we became the Government. Did we ever hear that from ACT or National? No we did not.