King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKing Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 16 October 2013. Volume:694;Page:13920. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]7.Hon ANNETTE KING (Labour—Rongotai) to theMinister of Health: What reports has he received in the last month of New Zealanders receiving inadequate health services?Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health): As the member will be well aware I receive more than 100 ministry reports a month many of which outline the real progress that the Government is making in delivering better health services but also a few that indicate that some health services do need to be improved. One report I have received outlined unacceptable waiting lists which led to a decision to send 30000 patients to be culled off the hospital waiting lists under the previous Government. But now 40000 more patients a year are getting elective surgery.Hon Annette King: Is he aware of a report in the last month in theDominion Post headed “Flood of rest home complaints” which includes cases of frail older New Zealanders suffering from bullying surgery delays malnutrition poor medication management and bone fractures with staffing issues being raised as an ongoing problem; if so how does this satisfy his 2008 expectations 5 years on that “It is vitallyimportant to maintain public confidence in the standard of care being provided in the country’s rest homes.”?Hon TONY RYALL: The Government certainly acts very quickly on any concerns that are expressed about the standard of care of our older people in rest home facilities. What I can advise Parliament is that we continue to invest very strongly in aged residential care. We are spending more money than ever before with a particular focus on dementia.Hon Annette King: Did he read the report in the past month in theTaranaki Daily Newsheaded “New prescription fees a bitter pill for some patients” in which Taranaki pharmacists have stated that some patients are finding it difficult to pay the increased fee and that it was a struggle for people with multiple scripts with larger families and on lower incomes; if so how many of these people were surveyed by the Ministry of Health in a survey that he claimed showed that more people were picking up prescriptions than last year?Hon TONY RYALL: The Ministry of Health’s annual report will be released tomorrow which actually will debunk the member’s attempts to bluster up a problem.Hon Annette King: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I asked a question—Mr SPEAKER: Order! No the member asked two questions—Hon Annette King: But that didn’t start to address either of them.Mr SPEAKER: I am waiting to hear the answer to either of the questions asked.Hon TONY RYALL: The ministry’s survey to be released tomorrow shows that the proportion of people reporting that cost had prevented them collecting a prescription in the last 12 months has declined for adults and children between 2011-12 and 2012-13. It shows for example that the number of adults reporting costs related to prescription for not picking it up reduced from seven to six for adults and seven to four for children. The Government is investing more in medicines and in fact the total number of funded prescriptions has continued to increase.Hon Annette King: Has he seen the report in theOtago Daily Times just 8 days ago headed “Financial pressure blamed” which states that the Southern District Health Board is under so much financial pressure that it is affecting its ability to buy equipment it cannot replace equipment in the normal time frames and that replacements can be made only if an item actually breaks; and how will the cost-saving plan that he has imposed on this board ensure that patients receive adequate health services?Hon TONY RYALL: The Government’s plan with funding to the Southern District Health Board saw it get an extra $17 million last year from our Government. The budget is now a record $818 million at the Southern District Health Board which continues to provide more operations faster than when that member was the failed Minister of Health.Hon Annette King: Oh dear oh dear oh dear! What a silly Minister. Did he read the report in theDominion Post in the last month headed “Low-cost clinics at crisis point as funding dries up”; if so why did he give false hope and false information to such clinics with his announcement that they had received an 85 percent increase in funding which he called “Our significant increase” when in fact under his four Budgets they have received a 9 percent increase in total and his latest announcement for the 2013-14 year equates to just $5.60 per patient per year for the sickest poorest patients in New Zealand and will not make a difference to these clinics?Hon TONY RYALL: This Government is putting $16 million extra into supporting low-cost practices. But I have also seen a number of reports with headlines that that member might be interested in: “Surgery delays taking heavy toll” “Surgery delay hits cancer clinic” “Surgery delay for elderly” “Waiting time doubles for heart surgery”—Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Almost all of that answer from the Minister was about matters for which he is not responsible and none of it was answering the question that he was asked.Mr SPEAKER: Order! If members want a concise answer it is important they ask a concise question. [Interruption] Order! The Hon Clayton Cosgrove will stand withdraw and apologise for that interjection.Hon Clayton Cosgrove: I withdraw and apologise.Mr SPEAKER: Now the member will leave the Chamber for the balance of question time. [Interruption] He will leave the Chamber.Hon Clayton Cosgrove withdrew from the Chamber.