Kia Ora Indian News readers! I’m Naisi Chen, Labour list MP based in Botany. It’s great to be able to contribute to this incredible community news outlet. I want to share some important news about the Government’s recent health announcement to improve equity of access and outcomes for all New Zealanders. As migrants, it will mean a much easier healthcare system to navigate.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!We are generally well served by our public health service, particularly when we are seriously unwell or injured. Overall, we’re living longer and healthier lives. But, with a growing and ageing population, and an increase in chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer and diabetes, there are some major challenges ahead.
That’s why the Government launched the Health and Disability System Review as a priority last term. The final report of this review, Pūrongo Whakamutunga, sets out a path towards a better, more sustainable health system with clear lines of accountability – one that is more responsive to the needs of local communities, and that better tailors services to the way people live their lives.
The Government has accepted the case for reform and the direction of travel laid out in that report, and this week we announced the next steps in our response to it – the new shape and structure for our public health service, and a blueprint for the sector in future.
Our goals are to reduce fragmentation, strengthen leadership and accountability in the public health service. We’ll do this by replacing district health boards with a new Crown entity, Health New Zealand, which will be responsible for running hospitals and commissioning primary and community health services.
We are also establishing two new authorities: one responsible for public health issues; and the other responsible for monitoring the state of Māori health, with the ability to commission services directly.
These changes will do away with duplication and unnecessary bureaucracy across regions, putting greater emphasis on primary and community health services. Ultimately, it is about shifting the focus of our public health service from treatment to prevention – being the fence at the top of the cliff, rather than the ambulance at the bottom. – Naisi Chen, Labour List MP based in Botany