A group of more than 400 Cancer Society volunteers from across the South Island have been named the overall winners of the 2014 Minister of Health Volunteer Awards.

As part of National Volunteer Week, Health Minister Tony Ryall will present their award, along with awards for outstanding achievers from the Lower North Island, at a celebration at Wellington Hospital this afternoon.

“These awards celebrate the volunteers whose commitment, dedication and hard work improve the quality of lives of New Zealanders,” says Mr Ryall.

Health Minister Tony Ryall today officially opened the $67 million Whakatane Hospital redevelopment which future-proofs health services in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

“This is truly one of the best days in my time as Minister of Health and MP for the Bay of Plenty. It is fantastic to see our government's 2008 election commitment fulfilled on-time and on-budget” says Mr Ryall.

Minister for State Owned Enterprises, Hon Tony Ryall, has announced two appointments to the Board of Solid Energy New Zealand Ltd.

Pip Dunphy has been appointed Chair and David Reece has been appointed a director of Solid Energy.

“In Pip Dunphy, we gain another Chair of high calibre, as Solid Energy continues to work its way through very difficult trading conditions,” Mr Ryall says.

Ms Dunphy has served on the Solid Energy Board since December 2012, was elevated to Deputy Chair in August 2013, and has been acting as Chair since February 2014.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Health Minister Tony Ryall today announced a total of $78 million in health research funding as part of the 2014 Health Research Council (HRC) of New Zealand’s funding round.

The funding will cover 50 new Projects ($56 million), 4 new Programmes ($20 million), and 14 Emerging Researcher First Grants ($2.02 million), and has increased significantly from last year due to the release of funds from maturing contracts.

The fight against rheumatic fever shifts up a gear this weekend with TV adverts starting which show the impact rheumatic fever can have on the lives of children and their families.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says the adverts are based on the real life experiences of a Tongan family with 11-year-old twins.

“One of the twins, Justin, avoided rheumatic fever when his strep throat was detected by swabbing and he completed a course of antibiotics. However his brother, Tristan, has had open heart surgery as a result of getting rheumatic fever,” says Mr Ryall.

Health Minister Tony Ryall has welcomed the opening of the new discharge lounge at Middlemore Hospital this week which will allow patients to wait comfortably for their paperwork to be completed before they return home.

Mr Ryall says the new lounge is one of a number of initiatives Counties Manukau District Health Board (DHB) is trialling to ensure Middlemore Hospital runs smoothly during the busy winter months ahead.

The National-led Government is investing strongly in programmes to support pregnant women and new mums to understand the importance of good nutrition and physical activity for their babies and for themselves.

Health Minister Tony Ryall spoke about the importance of newborn and maternal nutrition and the range of anti-obesity programmes the government is investing in at the opening of the new Kawerau Medical Centre today.

“Research suggests that preconditions for overweight and obesity are set very early,” said Mr Ryall.

For the first time since the National Health Targets were introduced in 2009, every district health board (DHB) has achieved over 90 per cent for the shorter stays in emergency department target.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says this is great news for patients and their families.

“New Zealanders are receiving emergency care faster than ever before. Gone are the days of endless stories about patients waiting for days under bright florescent lights in emergency department corridors.

Aucklanders at risk of diabetes have a new nutrition and activity programme available to help them to improve their health.

Health Minister Tony Ryall said Harbour Sport Trust has been awarded a $500,000 contract for the ‘Choose Change’ programme which supports people who have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic or with Type 2 diabetes.

Encouraging families to live healthy, active lives is part of the Government’s approach to reducing obesity in New Zealand.

“Budget 2014 invests $40 million over four years for the new Healthy Families NZ anti-obesity initiative, which is expected to reach around 900,000 New Zealanders," Health Minister Tony Ryall says.

Health Minister Tony Ryall has congratulated Sir Peter Gluckman on his appointment by the World Health Organisation to co-chair the Commission to end Childhood Obesity.

The Commission will be tasked with delivering a report to the World Health Organisation on which approaches will be most effective in tackling childhood obesity in different contexts around the globe.

“Sir Peter’s advice on tackling childhood obesity has guided this Government’s anti-obesity policy, Healthy Families NZ,” says Mr Ryall.

State Owned Enterprises Minister Tony Ryall has reappointed the Chair of MetService, Sarah Smith, along with making five new director appointments to SOE and Airport Boards.

Four new SOE directors have been appointed: Mary Jane Daly to Airways Corporation, Steve Murray to AsureQuality, Graeme Sumner to Kordia and Ant Howard to MetService.  Mark Rogers has been appointed as a director of Dunedin International Airport, which is 50% owned by the Crown together with Dunedin City Council. 

Budget 2014 will deliver an additional $32.7 million over four years to further improve cancer services and provide better support for cancer patients, Health Minister Tony Ryall says.

“This includes funding for specialist psychological staff and up to 20 cancer support workers who will ensure patients diagnosed with cancer and their families receive more support and counselling,” he says.

“Every year more than 20,000 New Zealanders are diagnosed with cancer, and this number is set to increase as our population ages.

The Government will spend $110 million of new money over the next four years to provide even more New Zealanders with elective surgery, including hip and knee replacements, Health Minister Tony Ryall says.

“Elective surgery makes a real difference to patients and their families – it reduces pain, restores independence and improves quality of life.

“This extra funding will mean even more patients will benefit from surgery, and they will get it sooner than they have in the past.

Free doctors’ visits and prescriptions for children aged under six will be extended to all children aged under 13 from July next year, Health Minister Tony Ryall says.

“Budget 2014 is investing $90 million over three years from 1 July 2015 so primary school-aged children can go to a doctor for free, any time of the day or night, and get their prescriptions free as well,” he says.

New Zealand’s public health services budget will reach a record $15.6 billion next year, Health Minister Tony Ryall says.

“This National-led Government is committed to protecting and growing our public health services,” he says.

“Budget 2014 is making available $1.8 billion for health over four years for new initiatives and to meet cost pressures and population growth. This is made up of $1.39 billion of new money and $412 million of savings.

Health Minister Tony Ryall today acknowledged the country’s nurses for their dedication, compassion and professionalism.

Mr Ryall said International Nurses Day is a time to reflect on the round-the-clock care and support nurses provide to patients and their families.

International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world on May 12 – the birthday of the world’s most famous nurse, Florence Nightingale.

From July, patients will have the opportunity to provide feedback and rate their experiences in hospital - a move welcomed by Health Minister Tony Ryall and Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew.

“DHBs will be running a quarterly survey of patients to find out what they think about their most recent stay in hospital,” says Mr Ryall.

Health Minister Tony Ryall has today announced the business case for the new 60-bed hospital facility on the West Coast has been signed off and the project is now in the final design phase.

Mr Ryall said in September last year we gave the Grey Base Hospital redevelopment the green light and this week Cabinet has approved the $67 million greenfield development plan where virtually all of the hospital is rebuilt.

Health Minister Tony Ryall today visited Karori Medical Centre in Wellington to view a new model of care improving health outcomes for diabetes patients in their local GP clinic.

“Capital and Coast DHB and Karori Medical Centre have developed a nurse practice partnership which has been running since May 2012,” says Mr Ryall.

Health Minister Tony Ryall has welcomed Parliament’s support for the Psychoactive Substances Amendment Act, passed today under urgency.

The Act, expected to receive Royal assent on Wednesday and become law on Thursday 8 May 2014, removes all remaining psychoactive products on the market. It also bans the use of animal testing data in support of product approvals.

“When the Psychoactive Substances Act was passed last year, some products were allowed to stay on the market,” says Mr Ryall.