Stewart Barbara: Health (Screening Programmes) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Stewart Barbara: Health (Screening Programmes) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:606;Page:3499] 
BARBARA STEWART (NZ First) 
: 
 I am pleased to speak to the Health (Screening Programmes) Amendment Bill. New Zealand First will support the referral of the bill to the select committee. It is a very worthy bill and it is long overdue. It is of particular interest to the members of New Zealand First as we like many other New Zealanders have experienced and know of women and their families who have suffered and are suffering from this tragic cancer. We will be very interested to hear from the various submitters on this bill and to work through the submissions. As we heard from the previous speakers cervical cancer is one of the more common cancers suffered by women and all the research indicates that if the disease is detected early enough many cases are curable. 
The devastating effects of the disease upon women and their families are tragic. New Zealand First believes that the operation of the National Cervical-screening Programme and other programmes to which this bill may be later extended is absolutely essential for the health monitoring of all—at this stage female—New Zealanders. We are pleased to note in the bill that the system will be set up so that it can be extended. New Zealand First would like to see those screening programmes extended at some later date to include for example prostate cancer hepatitis B asthma diabetes and osteoporosis. We believe that it is in the best interests of all New Zealanders that the screening programmes are extended to include those diseases and perhaps even more at some later date. 
This legislation with its monitoring and auditing of practices and results should assist in the elimination of the chronic under-reporting that we saw in the Gisborne region and of the misdiagnoses that came to light in the Northland area. At this time tragically those publicised incidents cannot be considered to be isolated cases. That is totally wrong for our health system. We cannot afford to have misdiagnosis and under-reporting slipping through cracks in the system as has happened in the past. We need to learn from the mistakes of the past and not repeat them. This bill with its evaluation and auditing provisions should address that aspect.  
Early detection of problems is the best way to detect precancerous conditions that can often be treated before cancer develops. It is to be hoped there are sufficient numbers of fully trained staff available in New Zealand to provide that service and if not that a systematic strategy has been developed to address the shortfall. I know that the Minister has commented before on addressing that in the House but the bottom line is that we the people of New Zealand do not want to have to be dependent on Australia or to have to travel to Australia to take advantage of any screening programme. A high-quality screening assessment and treatment programme to reduce the incidence and mortality rate of cervical cancer is essential in New Zealand.  
The creation of a register to enhance screening programmes will be beneficial to New Zealand women. However the Ministry of Health must put safeguards on its use as records of that nature are confidential and the system used must be fully explained to the public and the women of New Zealand. Already I have read news items on that very point. We in New Zealand First believe that clinical records only should be noted in a register such as that and that no other general personal or medical information that relates to the individual should be included in the register. It will be absolutely critical to ensure that the confidentiality of the register is maintained and that safeguards are put on its use. The bill will evaluate the procedures and results against predetermined standards and will then enforce those standards which is a giant leap forward from what is presently in place.  
The number of people participating in the programme is also an indication of the effectiveness of any programme—in this case the percentage of women in the target age group who have participated in the screening process on an annual basis. If increased participation rates in the programme can be achieved a reduction in the death rates in the long term will then be possible because it is then and only then that this programme will be considered to be successful. That means that promotion of programmes outlining the benefits of screening must be systematically planned on a national basis. Living with a serious disease is not easy. Cancer patients their families and those who care for them face many problems and many many challenges. The bottom line is that early detection followed by timely effective treatment is essential for a reduction in the mortality rate to occur. Everybody in New Zealand deserves access to the best and most accurate testing methods available so that they can make the most appropriate health-care decisions. With promotional education programmes and regular screening hopefully many cases of cervical cancer should be detected in the very early stages.  
It is important for the well-being of the health of New Zealand that this bill proceeds. In reality the problem affects every New Zealander. Providing people with certainty about their health care and ensuring timely access to quality services is absolutely essential. New Zealand First supports the referral of this bill to the select committee.