King Annette: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKing Annette: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 17 September 2015. Volume:708;Page:6789. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) to the Minister of Health: What inflationary pressures have not been covered in Vote Health since 2009/10?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health): The average inflation increase since 2009 has been 1.7 percent while the average increase in the operating baseline for health in this time has been 2.6 percent. Only a National Government can both handle the country’s finances and deliver more health services.Hon Annette King: Is it an honest approach for him to say on 29 July that health funding covers most but not all inflationary pressures and then on five occasions since in this House deny that he said it slither around the answer or blame the previous Labour Government of 8 years ago?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Dear me that sounds like it is inviting a political answer. Look it is but what I can say is that I do not think it is particularly honest for Annette King to come into this House and make it look like everything in the health system is bad when in actual fact when she is out in the community and she says that the National Government is actually doing pretty well. She also says that the decisions around the Southern District Health Board were the right ones that the Health Benefits Limited decision was good—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will stand and withdraw that remark immediately.Dr David Clarkwithdrew from the Chamber.Hon Annette King: Has he now been made aware that district health boards are cutting home help to frail old sick New Zealanders because they do not have the funding to meet the demand; if so what is his response?Mr SPEAKER: Again either of those two supplementary questions.Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: I think you will find that the member is referring to the situation at MidCentral District Health Board where the budget has gone up by $98 million under this Government. I am actually well aware of this issue and this Government and MidCentral District Health Board are determined to deliver the best possible home and personal care for patients there. I think she will find that this will all be sorted out.Hon Annette King: In light of that answer why should a 74-year-old sick and disabled woman Catherine from Whangarei who has written to him twice and he has not replied have her home help cut from 3 hours a fortnight to 1 hour a fortnight something her doctors called “elder neglect”—not MidCentral District Health Board but Whangarei?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: I am not aware of that case but if the member would like to forward it to me I will have a look at it because we are determined that people receive the services that they deserve and that they need.Hon Annette King: Well in light of that answer if he gets around to reading this woman’s—Mr SPEAKER: Order! That sort of interjection into the question will cause disorder. I invite the member to start her question again.Hon Annette King: If the Minister answers the woman’s correspondence in which she tells him that she has lots of falls lives alone and has diabetes will he then realise that tricky figures and finger-pointing are no replacement for sufficient funding and good care?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: As the member said herself it is better to help patients than to use them. I suggest that she forward me those address details and we will look into it because actually if what Mrs King is saying is correct it is unacceptable. So we have got to make sure that that person gets the right help. Mrs King would do a lot more good by picking up the phone working collaboratively—as she claims to do when she is outside the House—and saying “Hey Jonathan there’s an issue here with a sick patient.” But no—she cannot resist the temptation to make political capital out of it. It is very unfortunate.Hon Annette King: Has he replied to Mrs Oliver who wrote to him on Friday saying that cuts to home care for older people will lead to more injuries more older people requiring residential care and will cost the health system more—bad optics and even worse economics?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Well I get about 200 letters a week. I cannot recall that particular one but once again if Mrs King wants to be as collaborative as she claims when she is out in public why does she not just pick up the phone and talk over this case—if there really is one there at all and if it is not actually a member of the Labour Party? [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I do.