﻿Mr SPEAKER: Question No 5, Hon Annette King.
Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour)
to the Associate Minister of Health: What advice, if any,
has he received on the financial viability of the home and community
support sector for older NZers?
Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA (Associate Minister of Health):
I have received a range of advice, including advice that this Government,
despite financial constraints, has continued to increase funding
for home and community support services for older NZers
from $271 million in 2008 to $356 million in 2015.
That is a more than 30% increase in funding for this sector
in the past 7 years.
Hon Annette King: What is his response to the report
provided to the Minister of Health from the Home and Community Health
Association just before the Budget, which outlined the instability
of the home-care sector, its critically challenged
financial viability, workforce retention problems,
and increasing demand for service?
Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: I say to that member,
as I said in the answer to the first question,
funding has increased over 7 years. In fact,
in the last year alone, it has gone up 4.4%,
from $341 million to $356 million. I also add
that we are conducting workshops to look at
revising the Health of Older People Strategy.
During those workshops a number of issues came up,
addressing what the member has just spoken about,
including making the system truly people-centred
and making a smarter investment approach to healthy ageing,
as well as reducing rigidities and increasing flexibility
in service and business models.
Hon Annette King: Will DHBs be required to pass on to providers
of home care sufficient funding to cover the recent
minimum wage increase, in light of the said report
that states that prices have not kept up with increases
over the past 7 years and some organisations are now
in multiple years of loss?
Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: I reject the assertion
that member made about the last 7 years. What I will say
is that—as the member knows— Budget 2016 outlined
the additional allocation of $400 million per year.
The DHBs are working on the allocation of that funding
through their DHB plans. That member knows that.
Hon Annette King: I seek leave to table the Home and Community
Health Association report, which is not publicly available,
entitled Economic Instability of the HomeSupport Sector,
dated April 2016.
Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that particular report
of the Home and Community Health Association.
Is there any objection to that report being tabled?
There is not. It can be tabled.
Hon Annette King: How much funding has been provided to DHBs
in Budget 2016 to implement the second part of the in-between
travel agreement for providers and carers
of home care for older NZers?
Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: That member knows that
the Government has agreed to pay $38 million for in-between travel,
and that started in April of this year. In terms of Part B,
it continues to be worked on.
Hon Annette King: When he read the report on changes to home
and community support services from the Capital and Coast
and Hutt Valley DHBs, was he satisfied that there would be
no adverse effects on the 700 older people who will be
transitioned out of their home-care services
in an effort to reduce costs?
Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: Again, I challenge the veracity
of that member’s assumptions around those 700 people.
Hon Annette King: I seek leave to table a report from
the Capital and Coast and Hutt Valley DHBs
that is not available: Home and Community Support Services.
The pages I am tabling reflect what I had in my question.
Mr SPEAKER: I will put the leave. Leave is sought
to table that particular report from the Capital and Coast
and Hutt Valley DHBs. Is there any objection to it being tabled?
There is none. It can be tabled.
Hon Annette King: What work is currently under way
in his portfolio to look at means testing as well as asset testing
of older NZers needing home and community support service,
which is something that does not happen currently?
Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: As I have already said earlier,
there is work being done on the Health of Older People Strategy
that does involve looking at the increasing flexibility
and responsiveness of funding streams. It also looks at improving
the integration and collaboration within the health sector.
Mr SPEAKER: Question No 6.
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