King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 13 March 2013. Volume:688;Page:8470. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
9. 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Labour—Rongotai) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Is he confident that the Government’s initiative to provide Better Sooner More Convenient health care is meeting his expectations if not why not? 
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) 
: 
 The Government has high expectations of its plans for better health services for patients and in many services I am confident that we are meeting those high expectations but in some other areas we need to do better. I say this because despite tight times we have put an extra $2 billion into the public health service with the OECD reporting in its latest report that New Zealand had the third-highest increase in health spending of developed nations. 
Hon Annette King 
: In light of that answer is 86-year-old Mrs Margaret Mollring of Hastings receiving better sooner more convenient health care after recently being discharged from the hospital following heart failure and pneumonia who cannot walk across the room without becoming breathless and now has been told that her home help will be slashed to 1 hour a week and that her showering is threatened to be cut to just 3 days a week? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: What I would be able to say to that member is that if she could please provide the circumstances and the reference to that information then I will check it out. But I can certainly tell that member that we have put significant new money into the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board. It looks to me to be over $60 million extra under this Government. I can also say to that lady that it is generally a very good service provided by the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board and we do not cull patients off waiting lists like we did when that member was in Government. 
Hon Annette King 
: Has he been told that because Mrs Margaret Mollring’s home-help carer was unable to complete all her housework in the 1 hour allocated Mrs Mollring went out and brought in her own washing fell over twice and is fortunate that she was not seriously injured; and does he think that with all the money he has put in and all his bluster that is better sooner more convenient health care in the Hawke’s Bay? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: That word hurt them last week did it not. What I am aware of is that there have been some changes to home-care services in Hawke’s Bay. My understanding is that this is so that services can be better targeted at other people who have been discharged from hospital—that they do hope that they can help more people with that money—but I say to the member to please bring that case to my attention and I will make inquiries on behalf of her. But what I can say is that we are putting substantially more money into the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board we are providing more services and we do have an elected district health board in the Hawke’s Bay which is quite different from when that party was in office. 
Hon Annette King 
: In the light of that answer did he read Mrs Mollring’s letter sent to him and to the Prime Minister about her plight before he passed it on to Jo Goodhew—none of you have answered her letter—and is that the way the Government can claim it does not get any complaints in health? Nothing to see here? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: I would have to verify those facts from the member but I am absolutely sure that if they have been passed on to Mrs Goodhew they will be looked into. What I can tell the member is that more money is going to Hawke’s Bay—they want to help more people. But actually if the member brings the facts to my attention we will endeavour to deal with the case. 
Hon Annette King 
: Did he tell the people of Hawke’s Bay when he signed off the annual plan that the level of service provided and the standard of some services “may have to be modified” and that meant there could be reductions in the amount of care the elderly would get in Hawke’s Bay? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: I do not think there will be any reduction in the level of service that the elderly will get in Hawke’s Bay. I think you will find that spending in core services for the elderly is increasing in the Hawke’s Bay not the least of which is in the amount of elective surgery for the people of Hawke’s Bay which mainly benefits the ageing population—a very significant increase and far more than when that member was culling 30000 people off waiting lists. 
Dr Paul Hutchison 
: What reports has he received in relation to expectations of the New Zealand public health service? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: As it happens I have received a copy of a very important prominent report that clearly lays out the expectations of the New Zealand public health service. These expectations were shockingly low. In fact these expectations were depressing explicitly saying that New Zealand’s health system “is not rich enough to have the kind of health service found in Australia Canada Britain or the United States”. The report further declares that “There is a growing understanding I believe in the wider community that no Government can meet all New Zealanders’ expectations about health.” That was a comment made by a new health Minister last century—the Hon Annette King.