Mr SPEAKER: The House comes to Questions for Oral Answer. Question No 1, the Hon Annette King.
Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) to the Minister of Health:
What pressures are facing the public health workforce
as a result of this Government’s decision to fund core Crown health expenditure
to cover “most, but not all, inflationary pressures”?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health): There are always a wide range
of pressures in the health system, which is why we have increased Vote Health
by $4.1 billion over our 7 years in Government. One of the pressures
facing the public health workforce is the need to constantly fact-check
assertions made by a prominent public figure, including the false claim
that access to—[Interruption]
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.
This was a primary question on notice. The Minister has given an answer to it.
It is quite clear where he is going with the second part of his answer.
It is the same place he went with every answer yesterday, Mr Speaker,
and it brings the House into disrepute, as well as encouraging disorder.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member may be right as to where the answer is going.
At this stage I cannot tell, but if the Minister is using it to simply attack
a member of the Opposition, I will take a very dim view of that answer.
An answer can be given, but the opportunity to attack a member
of the Opposition is not necessary in the answer. Does the Minister
wish to continue his answer?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Yes, one of the pressures is the ongoing need
to waste valuable front-line time checking false assertions. [Interruption]
Mr SPEAKER: Order! We just need less interjection from both sides.
Hon Annette King: Does it alarm him that by not covering all inflationary pressures,
as he has admitted in this House, huge pressure is being put on staff
like senior doctors and dentists, with 75% of those surveyed,
in a study released today,
turning up to work with infectious illnesses, so as to not—
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Bring the question to a conclusion.
Hon Annette King: —burden colleagues or because of a lack of cover?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: There are about four questions there,
but the key point is that, actually, this year inflation is running at 0.4%
and we are funding inflation at 0.6%, so the funding is actually now ahead of inflation.
Hon Annette King: What was his reaction to the September 2015
Auckland District Health Board staff survey results,
showing 69% of respondents believe the message they are getting
from the organisation is that achieving volumes, targets, and budgets
is more important than staff well-being and the quality of the work environment?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: My reaction was to go and check the facts.
Hon Annette King: I seek leave to table the said survey. I point the Minister to page—
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no need to do that. [Interruption] Order!
There is no need to do that part. The member can seek leave to table the survey.
I just need the date of it, and I will put the leave.
Hon Annette King: Yes, the date of it is September 2015—
Auckland District Health Board CCDM Programme discovery report, page 10.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The document has been described. I will put the leave.
[Interruption] Order! I need to put the leave. Leave is sought to table
that particular staff survey. Is there any objection?
There is none. It can be tabled.
Marama Fox: Does the Minister understand that amongst NZers aged 50 to 64 years,
Māori are approximately five times more likely to die
from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and Māori women are apparently
the worst in the world; if so, what is the Minister doing about that situation?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Yes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
is caused by smoking, and that is the reason why we have massively increased
the taxes on cigarettes, to try to decrease those rates.
Smoking rates have decreased by 25% under this Government, but there is still
much more progress we need to make, especially amongst Māori women.
Hon Annette King: Is a pattern emerging in health
with an overworked and stressed workforce leading to mental health staff
in Auckland on strike, medical physicians preparing to strike, affecting cancer services,
staff working unpaid hours, and annual leave not being taken—
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Bring the question to a conclusion.
Hon Annette King: —and doctors and dentists working
while unwell, stressed, and fatigued?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: No, the only pattern emerging
is the need to constantly go back and check the facts.
Hon Annette King: Would the Minister like to check this fact:
is the president of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists,
Dr Hein Stander, right or wrong when he said today:
“The environment senior doctors and nurses are working in is increasingly toxic.”?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: No, that is a press release
by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, which was done in conjunction
with Mrs King. I have checked that fact.
Hon Annette King: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.
The Minister cannot accuse another member of working with anyone,
and that is a total lie.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member has been here a long time.
She knows how to handle it. I refer her to Standing Order 359.
Hon Annette King: Why would staff feel supported and valued
when the lowest paid in DHBs—the cooks at Middlemore—many of whom have worked
for more than 40 years not only lost their jobs but their retirement income entitlement
because of the Government’s failed Health Benefits Ltd experiment
and despite the promises?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Look, I really have to go and check those facts,
but what I can say is that we took very strong and urgent action
on Health Benefits Ltd, and that member knows that, actually,
there was a need to save $300 million across the health system.
Her answer would be to run a deficit.
We have actually taken action that makes the health system sustainable.
But Grant Robertson would run deficits, and if that is the way
he wants to run their fiscal—
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I think the question has now been answered. [Interruption]
Order!
Marama Fox: Can the Minister tell us why chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
is not a national health target under the current Government?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Because there are six national health targets,
but at a sub-target level it is included, I believe, in district-level plans.
Mr SPEAKER: Question No 2, Sarah Dowie.