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I am very proud to be here today, in the company of
 

Welcome

Thank you chairman Sally Webb for the introduction and welcome everyone to the launch of this exciting initiative.

The Government's billion-dollar-plus extra investment in health is delivering returns for New Zealanders, with the country's childhood immunisation rate now at a record level.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says, "The number of Kiwi children fully immunised by their second birthday has risen from 73 per cent in 2007 to just over 88 per cent.

"According to the Ministry of Health, the number of Maori children who are fully immunised at the age of two has jumped nearly 14 per cent to 85 per cent in the past two years.

Thank you for the opportunity to be with you at this special event in honour of Waitangi Day 2011.

In politics, we are often told that it’s all about the timing.

And I can’t help but be impressed by your decision to hold this launch tonight; on the brink of such a significant event in our national calendar, as we honour the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi; the foundations of our land, Aotearoa.

The timing is even more interesting if we think about 24 hours in the life of the North.

Health Minister Tony Ryall and Associate Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman today welcomed confirmation the new Northern eating disorder service is up and running and providing much needed treatment to seriously unwell patients in the region.

‘’The Government said it would provide more eating disorder services and we’re delivering on that promise,’’ Mr Ryall says.

Four district health boards (DHBs) are testing new ways of treating kidney disease.

Two centres will use one approach, which is a world-class new electronic decision support tool for general practitioners, to improve detection and management of kidney disease.

The second approach also involves general practitioners, and sees specialists working alongside primary care teams managing high risk kidney patients in the community.

The four centres involved are:

Firstly it is a privilege to join with you, in this twentieth year anniversary symposium of the international study of asthma and allergies in childhood and I thank you for the invitation.

It makes absolute sense to me, that in my first major speech of this year, it would be in the context of an issue which is so fundamental to the health and wellbeing of our nation – and in particular of our children.

I have been intrigued in listening to the state of the nation addresses presented by the leaders of the two largest political parties over these last two days.

Health Minister Tony Ryall reconfirmed today that the Ministry of Health and District Health Boards (DHBs) are addressing all of the recommendations from an auditor general's report into rest home performance.

The Government response to a Health Select Committee review of a damning Auditor General's report on rest home monitoring was tabled in Parliament today.

Health Minister Tony Ryall has announced that Emergency Ambulance Call Centres, which take 111 calls are to get extra funding to provide an advanced level of support for over-the-phone triage of emergency calls.

The Government is investing another $700,000 into the ambulance call centres to provide additional clinical advice to call takers and dispatch staff to determine which resources are most appropriate to send to an emergency.

Health Minister Tony Ryall has announced several appointments and reappointments to health sector boards.

Mrs Gay Shirley has been appointed to the Waikato District Health Board, replacing Mr Gordon Chesterman, who resigned shortly after the recent elections.

Mr Jamie Simpson of Christchurch has been appointed to the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC) and Ms Anne Hobby has been reappointed.

Mr Alastair Scott and Ms Pip Dunphy have been reappointed to the Crown Health Financing Agency (CHFA), and Mr Scott has been appointed chair.

Cabinet last week approved re-opening the drinking water subsidy scheme for small communities of under 5,000 people.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says "The government was concerned that the scheme had been running on a first-come first-served basis - allowing comparatively better off communities to apply for subsidies, and not targeting the communities most in need of the funding."

The criteria for the Drinking-Water Subsidy Scheme have changed:

$10 million is available for allocation each year until 2015

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne will chair a roundtable meeting of media, mental health professionals and researchers early in the new year to update guidelines on media reporting of suicides.

The roundtable meeting will be a significant step towards updating the health Ministry’s Suicide and the Media resource, and Mr Dunne said it is hoped to also involve the Prime Minister’s chief science adviser, Sir Peter Gluckman, and the Chief Coroner, Judge Neil MacLean.

Associate Health Minister Jonathan Coleman today welcomed the appointment of Dr Lynne Lane as the new chair of the Mental Health Commission.

Dr Lane has been appointed for three years from 1 January 2011 and replaces Dr Peter McGeorge who resigned earlier this year.

‘’Lynne brings strong management expertise and significant health sector experience to the role,’’ Dr Coleman says.

We’re here today to release a significant survey – one which, for the first time in 21 years, gives us a clear and up-to-date picture of the state of oral health in New Zealand.

Overall, the survey shows that the oral health of New Zealanders has improved over time.

It validates the improvements in oral health shown in the annual monitoring of the school dental service.

The Government spends over $100 million each year on providing free dental care to children and teenagers.

Delivered by Hon Nathan Guy on behalf of the Minister

Hon NATHAN GUY (Minister of Internal Affairs)256GUY, Hon NATHAN21:59:32 I move, That the Smoke-free Environments (Controls and Enforcement) Amendment Bill be now read a first time.

At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be referred to the Health Committee for consideration and report back by 8 April 2011.

A bill tightening up tobacco controls has passed its first reading in Parliament today and will now go to select committee for public submissions.

Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia says the introduction of the Smoke-free Environments (Controls and Enforcement) Bill is a further signal that this Government is serious about reducing the harm caused by smoking.

The Bill proposes banning tobacco retail displays and retailers from using tobacco trading names to advertise tobacco and stricter restrictions on selling tobacco to minors.

Nearly 38,000 New Zealanders received colonoscopies to investigate for bowel cancer and other serious bowel issues in 2009/10 – 2,346 more than the previous year says Health Minister Tony Ryall.

"Bowel cancer kills more than 1,200 New Zealanders a year but it is also one of our most treatable and curable cancers if caught early. Colonoscopies detect bowel cancer and early detection can save lives,” says Mr Ryall.

Waitemata District Health Board has been selected to run the four year bowel screening pilot.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says the pilot, announced as part of this year’s Budget, will cost $24 million over four years and is expected to begin in October next year. Further details will be finalised soon.

“Waitemata DHB has shown it has the knowledge and experience to run a successful screening programme,” says Mr Ryall.

Legislation to discourage smoking by removing displays of tobacco products in dairies and other retail outlets was introduced in Parliament today by Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia.

“This Government is serious about reducing the harm caused by smoking and it is vital that we do more to help people quit smoking and stop young people from being tempted to take up the habit.

“The evidence shows that most people who smoke want to quit. It’s harder to quit when you walk into a shop and are confronted with the instant temptation of tobacco on display.

Health Minister Tony Ryall today announced that Dr Tom Marshall is replacing Dr Virginia Hope on the National Health Board. Dr Hope has recently been appointed chair of both the Hutt Valley and Capital and Coast District Health Boards.

That is the only change on the Board, which is chaired by Dr Murray Horn.

The membership of the National Health Board is Dr Murray Horn, Ms Mary Gordon, Mr Hayden Wano, Mrs Marion Guy, Mr Rob Cooper, Dr Bev O'Keefe, Dr Margaret Wilsher, Dr Jeff Brown, Dr Tom Marshall, Dr Des Gorman, and Dr Murray Milner.

Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia is urging New Zealanders to treat people living with HIV and AIDS with dignity and respect.

Today is World AIDS Day and the theme is Universal Access and Human Rights.

“HIV and AIDS can affect anyone at anytime and it is important to remember that this disease knows no social, ethnic or economic barriers,” says Mrs Turia.

“By promoting individual human rights new infections can be prevented and people with HIV and AIDS can live free of discrimination.”

I was rapt to receive the invitation from Don Riesterer, on behalf of Te Ao Hou Trust, to join you at this very launch of the Toi Ora Whanau Ora Centre.

It seems so appropriate that we are celebrating Whanau Ora in the context of Te Ao Hou.

We are indeed welcoming the new world - and yet a world that sources its origins, vision and values from a tribal foundation stretching from the beginning of time to eternity.

Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia today announced the three Te Apa Mareikura Award recipients and two John McLeod Scholarship recipients.

Hori Barsdell, Phillip Tane, Matiu Julian, Pirihia Roberts and Harata Te-Amo Simeon have been acknowledged for their exceptional academic and community achievements in Maori health.

"These wonderful recipients have made an indelible mark in shaping the nature of the communities around them.

Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia today launched the Whanau Ora Integrated Services Delivery Report, a study that looked into how Maori health providers deliver integrated services across health and other sectors.

"The findings of this study provide useful information as the implementation of the Government's Whanau Ora initiative gets into full swing," says Mrs Turia.