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Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew has welcomed the second survey of solarium operators by the Ministry of Health which indicates improvement in compliance with the sector’s voluntary standard.

“The first survey was in the second half of 2012, and showed a substantial reduction in the number of operators,” Mrs Goodhew says.

“The latest survey shows that those choosing to remain in operation seem to be improving their practices.

E aku rangatira, tēnā koutou katoa. Ka nui te honore ki te mihi ki a koutou.                      

Thanks Theo for your kind introduction and good evening everyone. Thank you to IMAC for inviting me here to close the first day of the eighth New Zealand Immunisation Conference. It really is a pleasure.

Firstly, I’d like to acknowledge:

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew has congratulated New Zealand’s district health boards for all pledging to support the national patient safety campaign Open for better care.

“I launched the Open campaign to reduce harm from falls, surgery, healthcare associated infections and medication in May, and I am very pleased that all DHBs have now formally given their support to the campaign by signing the pledge certificate,” Mrs Goodhew said.

The Government is investing almost $1.5 million in a new ‘whole of family’ nutrition and parenting project in South Auckland that will support all family members - from grandmas to cousins - who help feed and nurture their babies and toddlers.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says this is one in a series of Investments in Healthy Families the Government is making to help families around the country give their children a healthy start.

E aku rangatira, tēnā koutou katoa.  Ka nui te honore ki te mihi ki a koutou.

Good afternoon, and thank you for inviting me to speak to you today. Particular thanks to Greg (Ward) for the kind introduction, and to Martin (Taylor) and Simon (O’Dowd) for organising and inviting me to take part in this conference.

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew has announced that the Government will be making more information on rest homes available online.

“From November, the Ministry of Health will be trialling a new system giving people access to full rest home audit reports in addition to the audit summaries that are already available,” Mrs Goodhew said.  

“Other changes to the website will allow people to see if a rest home has any current problems and what's being done to fix them.  

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew says New Zealand is improving its monitoring of, and ability to respond to, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

“The Government has decided to add MERS to the schedule of notifiable diseases, which means the health sector is required to report any confirmed or suspected cases within New Zealand to the Medical Officer of Health at their local public health unit,” Mrs Goodhew says.

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew has congratulated district health boards on improving national hand hygiene rates.

“I am very pleased that a new report on the national hand hygiene programme shows the average compliance rate among DHB health care professionals increased by nearly 6 per cent in the last three months,” says Mrs Goodhew.

“Hand hygiene is one of the most important measures in reducing harm from healthcare associated infections in hospitals.

The Government is investing $680,000 to encourage Taranaki Mums to eat and exercise well during and after pregnancy, giving their babies a healthy start.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says “recent international research evidence and advice from Professor Sir Peter Gluckman suggests that preconditions for overweight and obesity are set very early.

Annette King has forgotten that she endorsed a major report that slammed Labour on emergency department (ED) waiting times, says Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew.

“Mrs King blusters over ED waiting times that are now 50 per cent better than when she was in government,” says Mrs Goodhew.

“A Ministry of Health report* shows that during her time only 16 district health boards (DHBs) met triage 1 timeframes, only 7 met triage 2, and only 4 met triage 3.

Associate Minister of Health Jo Goodhew says MidCentral DHB’s vitamin D project is a good example of how a simple intervention can improve lives and save health dollars.

In 2010 the DHB, in partnership with ACC, began encouraging health professionals to prescribe vitamin D to residents in aged care facilities.  Between March 2010 and June 2012 the uptake of vitamin D by aged care residents increased from 15 to 74 per cent.

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew has announced that more Kiwis than ever before protected themselves against the flu this year.

The 2013 Influenza Programme ended on 31 July with a total of 1,253,830 flu vaccines distributed. This number even exceeds the 1.02 million doses distributed in 2010 following the 2009 flu pandemic.

“While we can’t be absolutely sure all the vaccines were used until all excess doses are returned, we can be sure that we have easily met our target of 1.2 million New Zealanders immunised against flu,” Mrs Goodhew said.

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew has today announced approval of $7.9 million in subsidies to help small communities establish or improve their drinking-water supplies.

“These subsidies will help council and community water suppliers provide safer drinking-water to approximately 22,000 people,” Mrs Goodhew said.

Subsidies have been approved for projects in 21 communities in the 2012/13 Drinking-Water Subsidy Scheme funding round.  The subsidy covers up to 85 per cent of total project costs.

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew has today marked World Breastfeeding Week by visiting a Big Latch On event at the Timaru Women’s Community Centre.

“Breastfeeding provides babies with the optimum nutrition for the beginning of their lives, protects against infectious diseases and assists with physical and emotional development,” Mrs Goodhew told attendees at the event. 

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew says Opposition Health spokesperson Annette King has got herself involved in what appears to be a mysterious and incompetent attempt to smear the record of South Canterbury DHB.

“In making claims about the DHB’s waiting times for colonoscopies, Mrs King has got her numbers completely wrong,” Mrs Goodhew says.

“She has double and triple counted hundreds of people to try and claim South Canterbury DHB has far more people waiting for non- urgent colonoscopy tests than they actually do.

The Government is investing $2.28 million to help mums and their families make better food choices for themselves and their babies.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says the Government is investing in a new workforce development programme for health professionals who care for pregnant women and babies.

“The new training programme will give front-line health workers the latest evidence-based research into how pregnancy and early life events can influence long term health outcomes,” Mr Ryall says.

E aku rangatira, tēnā koutou katoa. Ka nui te honore ki te mihi ki a koutou.

My thanks to College President Tim Malloy for inviting me to join you today, to open what I know will be a successful and stimulating conference.

I would like to start by acknowledging Dr Mark Peterson, College Board Member and Chair of the Programme Committee, his fellow Board members, and your MC for today Dr Lincoln Nicholls.

Associate Minister Jo Goodhew has congratulated 16 health professionals who have won scholarships to take part in the Health Quality & Safety Commission’s improvement advisor professional development programme.

“This is the first time the improvement advisor programme has been held in New Zealand, and it reflects this Government’s commitment to investing and building capability in DHBs,” Mrs Goodhew said.

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew has today welcomed the first publication of DHB performance data against the new Health Quality and Safety Markers.

“The baseline data published by the Health Quality & Safety Commission today shows some excellent achievements but also areas where more work is needed,” said Mrs Goodhew.

“The Quality and Safety Markers aim to encourage DHBs to improve their performance at reducing patient harm caused by falls, healthcare associated infections and surgery.” 

Delivered on behalf by Hon Todd McClay, Associate Minister of Health.

E aku rangatira, tēnā koutou katoa. Ka nui te honore ki te mihi ki a koutou

Good afternoon everyone. Thank you, Jan [Adams], for your kind introduction. It gives me great pleasure to be in Hamilton today at the opening of the new Older Persons and Rehabilitation building.

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew has congratulated South Canterbury District Health Board (DHB) for pledging support for New Zealand’s national patient safety campaign.

The DHB today formally pledged its support for the Open for better care campaign, which was launched by Minister Goodhew on 17 May 2013.

Mrs Goodhew said she was particularly pleased to see the campaign support from South Canterbury DHB, which is in her Rangitata electorate.

Farmers affected by this year’s devastating drought are being offered more help, with workshops about how to recognise and cope with mental health problems, Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew announced today.

“Working in very stressful and difficult circumstances can have a significant effect on a person’s mental health and those in the rural community can be vulnerable after such a large-scale event,” says Mrs Goodhew.

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew is today joining Canterbury DHB Chair Bruce Matheson in announcing an $8.7 million plan to redevelop Ashburton Hospital.

“The Government is committed to rebuilding Canterbury and rebuilding the health sector infrastructure is a high priority. This redevelopment will be a significant step for Ashburton, Canterbury DHB and Canterbury towards their recovery from the effects of the earthquakes,” Mrs Goodhew says.

A library of short videos highlighting people’s experiences of the health and disability sector is a valuable new resource for New Zealanders, says Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew.

The Health Quality & Safety Commission’s consumer programme has produced more than 20 short videos over the past year featuring consumers, family/whānau and providers talking about their experiences of the health system.