Turner Judy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Turner Judy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:625;Page:20542] 
12.  
JUDY TURNER (Deputy Leader—United Future) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Is she satisfied that hospitals have sufficient resources to ensure that New Zealanders requiring outpatient services get the treatment they need; if so why? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Associate Minister of Health) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Health 
: Yes. This year this Government will provide over $7.5 billion to district health boards. This money is fairly distributed between district health boards according to the relative needs of their populations and the cost of providing health and disability support services to meet those needs. 
Judy Turner 
: Does the Minister consider that when patients at Wellington Hospital renal unit have been having their dialysis hours cut virtually in half and have been suffering debilitating symptoms it is acceptable that staffing levels are used as an excuse when it takes as little as 6 weeks to train patients with no medical background in home dialysis and surely skilled and trained nurses could be brought up to speed in no more than a couple of weeks? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Capital and Coast District Health Board advises that it has experienced a significant increase in the need for dialysis; that more staff are therefore needed; that a number of those staff have already begun; that it will be back to its new bigger than before complement on or about 3 June; and that it is unaware of any acute readmissions as a result of unmet demand for dialysis. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Is the Minister aware of very successful trials of nurse-run outpatient clinics for conditions such as diabetes and respiratory illnesses at the Lower Hutt district health board and does she agree that using these sorts of nurse-run clinics more extensively right throughout New Zealand would be one way of ensuring that more New Zealanders needing outpatient services get the treatment that they need? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: No I regret that I am not aware. 
Judy Turner 
: Does the Minister concede that the level of further training for an already skilled nurse so that he or she can work in the area of dialysis is little more than a couple of weeks; if so why is she prepared to tolerate 12 months of perpetual excuse of not enough staff in the Wellington Hospital renal unit? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I am not aware of a 12-month staff shortage but I am aware that the Capital and Coast District Health Board will have a very large complement of dialysis staff on or before 3 June. 
Judy Turner 
: Does the Minister consider dialysis a vital life support procedure and that reducing it by a third and having patients turn yellow puff up and pass out by the time they are on dialysis is acceptable; and when will the patients there receive reassurance that they will not have to live week by week never knowing what level of treatment they will get so that they can supply their employers for instance with clear messages regarding their wellness to work? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: As I said earlier Capital and Coast District Health Board advises that it is unaware of any acute readmissions as a result of unmet demand for dialysis. I am aware of a woman—maybe there is more than one—who was able to make it to work on the Saturday before last and has medical advice to that effect. I am sure that it does affect lives to some extent. The answer to the last part of the member’s question is that it will be on or before 3 June.