Dyson Ruth: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Dyson Ruth: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:656;Page:5519] 
Hon RUTH DYSON (Labour—Port Hills) 
: 
 The National Party’s election slogan of “Better Sooner More Convenient” health care is turning into a Tui billboard and a lot of people are looking at Tony Ryall’s and National’s election promises and are saying “Yeah right!”. He said that resources would be moved to the front line of health. Time and time again that has been shown to be completely untrue. All over the country there are now cuts to front-line health services and front-line health staff. 
In Otago as we heard in the House today there are cuts to the number of staff of community health services for the rural elderly. Those people ensure that when elderly people who live on their own out in the country—maybe in Clutha or maybe just outside of Dunedin—are discharged from hospital all the support is set up before they leave hospital. They make sure that those elderly people are discharged to a safe environment but they are going to lose their jobs. When the Minister of Health was asked today how that would benefit him he did his old washing of his hands trick—he can twitter and wash at the same time; he is a real multitasker—and said that it was nothing to do with the Minister of Health. He said that he was there to make only good positive announcements and it was all the fault of that bad district health board. The district health boards make the bad announcements about health cuts while the Minister washes his hands of all responsibilities and just gets on with announcing yet another new positive initiative in health. 
The Whanganui District Health Board has announced that it is going to deliver the Minister’s “Better Sooner More Convenient” health services by closing hospital wards on the weekends. I am sure Chester Borrows is just delighted at that news! Michael Laws will be celebrating up and down the main street of Wanganui— 
Hon Member 
: Without a patch. 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: —without a patch—and that must be great news for the people of Wanganui. In order to provide “Better Sooner More Convenient” health services in their town their hospital will close wards on weekends. The Taranaki District Health Board has announced cuts in future mental health services and cuts in the provision of health services for Maori. I have not yet heard Maori Party members raising concerns about that but given their representation in Parliament and their close proximity to the National Party I look forward to one of them taking a call tonight. 
This is not about moving resources to the front line or having better support for health staff; this is just about cuts to front-line services and front-line staff. When I asked the Minister of Health whether he no longer thought that doctors and nurses were front-line staff and whether he did not think that home support workers community services for the elderly X-rays mental health services and emergency departments were front-line services the Minister said “What an odd question.” But X-rays are being cut by 10 percent at Timaru Hospital. That fact was denied by the Minister this afternoon proving yet again how poorly he is keeping on top of his portfolio. Hospital wards are being closed on weekends mental health services are being cut and the emergency department at Timaru Hospital has decided to see 5000 fewer patients. I asked that question because I want it to be on the public record that the commitment given by Mr Ryall and the National Party prior to the election—that there would be no cuts in front-line health staff or in front-line health services—is a lie. It has been demonstrated to be a lie by the cuts that have been signed off by the Minister himself. At Timaru Hospital there will be 5000 fewer patients at the accident and emergency department 200 fewer operations every year and a 10 percent cut in the number of X-rays. The Minister of Health wrote to that district health board and said he was strongly supportive of those plans to cut front-line health services and staff.