Tony Ryall appeared before the health select committee this morning to answer questions on the health budget.
I put it to him that the fact that DHBs are cutting frontline services tells us that the small increase in the health budget is not enough to cover the cost of maintaining current services.
So I asked him if he thought that reducing the supply of health services would reduce the demand. (ie if you take the service away, will the community suddenly no longer require it?).
He completely avoided the question instead choosing to talk about his pet projects. When I attempted to get him back on track, the chairman, Paul Hutchinson, shut me down.
Put simply, health services for those who need them are not a priority to this Government. National’s priority is tax cuts for those who don’t need them. No wonder the Minister is so evasive.
Good to see you can get into your post now Iain…
Keep the pressure on them. Communities are wondering why there’s “new spending” but at the same time they are also seeing their services cut back. It won’t take long for it to all click into place.
I can’t believe he shut you down!
Creepy how these frontline services are disappearing
Roll on the extension of Parliament TV including ondemand replays to coverage of Select Committees so we can see what goes on. Spud, a select cttee chair is obliged to give all members a chance to question the Minister, the CEO and officials.
Today, health matters were scheduled for 1h 40m. I suspect Ryall would have been there for an hour. Ten minutes for opening remarks leaves about 6 minutes for each of 8 MPs (besides the chair) to ask questions. So it may not have been unreasonable for Hutchison to move on to the next MP. Ministers can be expert at taking up time.
OTOH, it is marvellous to watch when Govt MPs of any stripe are annoyed, and withdraw suport by leaving all the questions and the time to the opposition . . .
Iain, staying on topic of the meeting, can you say who was making submissions on rest home auditing, and what they said?
Spud, I see on Twitter another MP reporting that Johnathon Cleman was also at the meeting, on mental health services – he must be Assoc Min Health – so perhaps even less time for each MP to question Ryall.
Thanks Phil
It follows of course that in question Time Ryall will have to do more than his usual smug responses. Go Iain!
Health care costs are going to rise at somewhere from 5% – 10% a year for the next few decades… Doubling every 7 years or so…
No party is going to find the money to keep current service levels without massively raising taxes or cutting spending in other areas…
Frankly Jeremy, I would rather have more taxes and good Health delivery. NZ is already one of the lowest taxed countries. Health, Education, Security, should be funded by more tax not less.
There is evidence that tax cuts reduce the economy.
Take a survey. More tax for the above or less tax for less of the above?
JMH: or re-orienting our view of health away from bottom of the cliff stuff.
Classic estimates for instance is that fruits, vegetables and exercise alone can prevent ~25% of total cancer cases, and in specific cancers like colon cancer life style factors cause roughly 50-60% of cases.
Also: people who finish school or finish university live longer than those who don’t finish school.
So putting money into education has knock on benefits for health.
Basically our current health system is really a sickness system.
Vast amounts of money gets spent on treatments and professionals focussed on the already sick, not on keeping people healthy.
Well of course its a losing battle then, because we’ve picked the wrong fight.
I do enjoy reading Krugman in the New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/opinion/18krugman.html