4. Health Services—First Specialist Assessments and Elective SurgeryBARBARA KURIGER (National—Taranaki - King Country) to the Minister of HealthHealth Services—First Specialist Assessments and Elective Surgery4. BARBARA KURIGER (National—Taranaki - King Country) to the Minister of Health: Can he confirm that 551000 patients received a First Specialist Assessment last year and that this is more than one in 10 New Zealanders?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health): Yes and this is an extra 10000 patients compared with last year. Overall there has been an increase of 119000 first specialist appointments per year or 28 percent more than the 432000 that were carried out in 2008-09. The only answer to increasing demand is to do more and this Government is.Barbara Kuriger: What reports has he had on an increase in patients receiving elective surgery?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: The rise in first specialist appointments has been accompanied by an increase in the number of people receiving the elective surgery that they need. The number of patients receiving elective surgery increased from 118000 in 2007-08 to 172000 in 2015-16. That is nearly 54000 more surgeries per year than 8 years ago a 45 percent increase.Hon Annette King: How many patients did not get referred for a first specialist assessment because as GPs have said: It's a waste of time—they won't be seen."?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: We are collecting data on first specialist assessments. All we know for sure is that in the last quarter of 2015 87 percent of people referred from GPs to the hospital got a hospital appointment. Another 8 percent were sent away because they were sent to the wrong clinic or there was wrong information. It was only 5 percent who did not actually meet the threshold. That figure will change a bit over time but the point is that this is the first Government to collect the data on access to hospital appointments and that creates a picture that will enable us to do more. As I have said in the primary answer we are doing more and more appointments all the time.Hon Annette King: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question asked how many patients did not—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! No no no. The Minister I think did not have the exact number I accept that but he went through and gave a fairly detailed explanation and ended up with a percentage of patients that he acknowledged may not have got their first specialist assessment. I think that question was very definitely addressed.Hon Annette King: Will he now stop claiming that only 5 percent of patients are refused a first specialist assessment and sent back to their GP which he said only a few weeks ago in this House in light of the Ministry of Health stating that it may climb between 10 and 15 percent?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Once again the member is making stuff up. I have always said that that 5 percent would probably settle out at 10 to 15 percent. I said that in my opening statement when we first reported these results so Annette King should just stop making stuff up. It is not good.Hon Annette King: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. This is where we get frustration because I can quote from a question in the House and I could table his press release which has 10 to 15 percent as the ministry said. He claimed in this House it was only 5 percent.Mr SPEAKER: I accept and can sense the frustration from the member but equally I find it very frustrating that when I was listening to the answer to try to ascertain what the Minister was not saying I could not hear the answer because of the level of interjection coming from the member's colleagues.Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Those interjections happen when the Minister is allowed to say that Annette King is making stuff up. It is that that causes the disorder.Mr SPEAKER: The member is this time partially right because the interjections certainly got louder with the last comment by the Minister but the interjections started well before the Minister ended up with his final comments. [Interruption] Order! I am now going to ask for some cooperation from my left-hand side. If I continue to get interjection that is incessant I will be asking a member to leave the Chamber."