Macindoe Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Macindoe Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:675;Page:20970] 
4. 
TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What was the average annual increase in elective discharges from 2000/2001 to 2007/2008 and how does this compare to the average annual increase in elective discharges over the last three financial years? 
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) 
: 
 Official reports from the Ministry of Health advise that the average annual growth in elective discharges over the 7 years 2000-01 to 2007-08 was 1432 a year. This was less than the population growth over the same period meaning there was a cut in access—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I apologise to the Minister and I apologise to the House. My hearing is terrible today—a bug has got into my ears. I can hear clearly when there is not a lot of noise but when there was a high level of interjection I found I could not hear any of the numbers the Minister was giving. As the question was from a National backbencher it is reasonable that he should be able to hear the answer too. I think the level of interjection was just unreasonable. I ask the Hon Tony Ryall whether he would not mind starting his answer again for me please and I want to hear it. 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Official reports from the Ministry of Health advise that the average annual growth in elective discharges over the years 2000-01 to 2007-08 was 1432 a year. This was less than the population growth over the same period meaning there was a cut in access to elective surgery. Over the last 3 years the average annual growth in patients benefiting from elective treatment has risen by an average of 9000 a year. This is an annual increase of over six times that of the previous Government. 
Tim Macindoe 
: What does this record increase in elective surgery mean for patients? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Well this outstanding performance by district health boards means that many more people are getting the care they need to have a better quality of life. It means an extra 500 patients a week—for example an extra 23000 people aged 65 and over have had operations for things like hip replacements and cataracts and there have been an extra 4900 operations to fix ear nose and throat conditions. This has been delivered as part of the Government’s $1.5 billion investment of new money into health over 3 years and the Government would like to thank the many doctors nurses and other health professionals who have delivered this fantastic result for New Zealand patients. 
Grant Robertson 
: I seek leave of the House to table the September 2008 case-weighted discharge monitoring report that shows that over the term of the last Labour Government there was a 38.6 percent increase in case-weighted surgery. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The source? 
Grant Robertson 
: The Ministry of Health. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Not good enough. Senior members of the House know that when points of order are being heard they do not interject and they should not. Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.