12. Health Services Auckland—Elective Surgeries Access and DemandJENNY SALESA (Labour—Manukau East) to the Minister of HealthHealth Services Auckland—Elective Surgeries Access and Demand12. JENNY SALESA (Labour—Manukau East) to the Minister of Health: Does he take any responsibility after nine years of a National-led Government for delivering a health system where in just four weeks more than 700 elective surgeries in Auckland have been postponed leading to clinicians saying it's not a sustainable system"?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health): Yes including 18500 extra elective surgeries and 48000 more first specialist assessments across Auckland as well as the new $39 million Elective Surgery Centre the $9 million Waitakere emergency department and the $10 million North Shore outpatients clinic. In regard to so-called elective delays due to winter-type illnesses I have been informed this afternoon that there have been no elective delays at Waitematā District Health Board (DHB) due to winter illnesses which calls into question the basic premise of her question. Be that as it may despite 1 million flu vaccinations this year there has been an unusually large number of presentations at hospitals. However the district health boards have processes in place to cope.Jenny Salesa: How will he respond to the record demand and bed shortages in Auckland which led to the Counties Manukau chief medical officer saying it is the highest and fastest rate of increase in demand for services the DHB has ever experienced?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: I think the member should remember that there is $57 million more going into Counties Manukau this year as of 1 July. That provides funds for that DHB to distribute as it sees fit to meet population growth and demand pressures.Jenny Salesa: Did he check with every DHB around the country before he claimed on Checkpoint last Friday that every DHB is managing to deliver the operations that are needed?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: I do not need to check with DHBs around that because it is a fact that we are delivering 50000 more operations than 8 years ago. You only have to look at those Auckland regional district health boards where the percentage of operations in Auckland DHB has gone up by 60 percent over 9 years Counties Manukau DHB has had an increase of 34 percent and at Waitematā DHB the percentage of electives has increased by 74 percent over 9 years. That is a whopping extra 8500 operations per year for the people of the Waitematā District Health Board.Jenny Salesa: What action has he taken in the last 2 years to decrease GP fees for adults in light of the 44 percent increase in the average GP fee since 2008 which can force people to turn up to hospitals for health services?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: I have got to say these are much better questions than—Mr SPEAKER: Order! We will just have the answer thank you.Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Be that as it may the member knows that GP fees are actually set in consultation with the DHB but the bigger picture is there is an extra $5 billion that has gone into health under the course of this Government to increase access to health services.Jenny Salesa: After 9 years in Government is it now acceptable to him that patients are forced to sleep in waiting rooms in Auckland City Hospital because there are no spaces available for them?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: I would have to go and verify those claims but I think it is pretty unlikely. The fact is that services at Auckland District Health Board have increased dramatically and there is another $69 million going into that DHB as of 1 July this year to complement the extra $436 million that Auckland DHB has received over 9 years. But look there is no doubt that in health there is always more to do."