Huhana Clayton-Evans responds to Chistopher Luxon's announcement on eliminating Te Aka Whai Ora.
Bay of Plenty health providers have hit out at National’s plan to scrap Te Aka Whai Ora - The Māori Health Authority, with one saying: “Don’t make us invisible”.
Three providers have spoken out after a National Party conference in Rotorua, where National leader Christopher Luxon said in his speech that he would “scrap” Te Aka Whai Ora if elected.
Te Aka Whai Ora was implemented on July 1, 2022, under the Pae Ora Healthy Futures Act 2022 to improve the healthcare system for all New Zealanders.
With just over four months to the general election, National health spokesman Shane Reti told NZME the authority was hindered by bureaucracy that would not lead to better outcomes.
National believed in “devolved care” and not “centralised care” for Māori.
“National will work closely with iwi and community groups. Where iwi providers are doing a good job of reaching the local community, National will boost them up so they can continue.”
Reti said National believed there had been no improvements to healthcare since Te Aka Whai Ora started in July 2022.
“After two years of planning and nearly one year of implantation, no one can name a single health metric that has improved under the Māori Health Authority or Health NZ.”
Act deputy leader and health spokesperson Brooke van Velden said the party would also abolish the authority, “freeing up resources so we can deliver healthcare according to need”.
Te Mana Hauora o Te Arawa Rotorua trustee Huhana Clayton-Evans. Photo / Andrew Warner
But Huhana Clayton-Evans, a trustee of Te Arawa tribal health authority Te Mana Hauora o Te Arawa Rotorua, believed National had not stepped into the Māori world.
“We’re in this country. We’re not invisible,” Clayton-Evans told NZME.
She hoped for communication between National and Māori communities. “We would like if the communication was with us, that our whānau can have a voice. That’s our biggest expectation. Don’t make us invisible. That would be the wrong thing to do.”
She believed one year was insufficient time to judge a new authority. “We are not expecting our life expectancies to be much better already, or [to see] some of the health gains yet. But we want them to get the infrastructure right so they can serve us properly.”
She said there were many benefits to having Māori onboard in healthcare but there was more that needed to happen. “We’ve not always had a lot of resources to do what we do. But we just get on and do it, because family need you.”
Te Puna Ora o Mataatua Charitable Trust chief executive Dr Chris Tooley.
Te Puna Ora O Mataatua Charitable Trust Whakatāne is a non-profit charitable organisation based in Whakatāne that covers the whole of Mataatua/Eastern Bay of Plenty region and beyond.
Its chief executive, Chris Tooley, said the authority was one of the strongest platforms to deliver health and well-being equity needs when it comes to Māori.
“History shows function without form doesn’t work for Māori. We do need form. We do need infrastructure. We do need platforms like the Māori Health Authority to help us better deliver policies and funding.”
Tooley said a delegated authority where Māori were considered in policy setting perspective was important. .
“One size does not fit all and time and time again it takes a while for us to learn this lesson.”
He said that when healthcare used cultural systems and cultural frameworks, this supported people positively.
Te Puna Ora O Mataatu has a Rongoā clinic (traditional Māori healing system) which works alongside its medical GP clinic. “When clients come in, they can have the choice between medicine from a Western point of view, but also from a Māori point of view.”
Tooley said traditional Māori healthcare practices such as giving new mothers support in the first 1000 days after childbirth or people entering their “twilight” years could currently receive funding in relation to targeting particular populations.
He said they were now able to have a “pipeline” of training programmes and supports available. “People [can] enter the health workforce if they want to become a nurse or a doctor or a specialist, which is all based on Māori frameworks.
”We haven’t had the ability to decide which populations we target before. We haven’t had the ability to customise or design our own workforce before.
“Just these small incremental changes within the last 12 months have allowed us to improve the kind of access to healthcare.”
Tooley said removing the authority would be a backward step.
Te Tatau o Te Arawa chairman and Bay of Plenty Regional Council Okurei Ward councillor Te Taru White. Photo / Andrew Warner
Te Tatau o Te Arawa chairman and Bay of Plenty Regionalcouncillor Te Taru White said the high demographic of the Māori population in the Bay of Plenty meant there was more reason to keep the authority.
“If you do not allow Māori health needs, you constantly fail them.”
Loss of Māori voice was White’s main concern. ‘‘It’s stepping back in time.” He said he felt previous Ministry of Health structures had not previously supported Māori.
“It hasn’t empowered Māori to look after their own that points to their values and systems. National says they can do it better. I say history can do it better.”
The National Party’s health spokesman Dr Shane Reti. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Health Minister Ayesha Verrall said the 2023 Budget investment meant an additional 193 clinical staff in communities in primary care teams to support and complement the work of GPs and nurses.
“Kaiāwhina are trusted in their communities and help Māori and Pacific whānau navigate the health system and access the supports they need.”
Communities would also see more prevention work for longer-term conditions, HIV and cancer alongside more support for Kahu Taurima which provides maternity care, and Oranga Hinengaro a mental health and wellbeing programme for Māori.
A Te Aka Whai Ora spokesperson said the agency was working hard on producing fairer outcomes for all New Zealanders, particularly for those who have traditionally been disadvantaged and that will continue to be its focus.
A Ministry of Health spokesperson said: “The ministry recognises that Te Aka Whai Ora plays an important role in guiding the health system to produce fairer outcomes for Māori.
“As part of the recent health reforms, we are developing a range of strategies to help guide our health system to achieve pae ora, healthy futures. One of those strategies is the Hauora Māori Strategy, which will set the direction of the new health system for improving Māori health and wellbeing.”
Manatū Hauora and Te Aka Whai Ora were developing the interim Hauora Māori Strategy in partnership, it said. “As a first step, we are reviewing and updating He Korowai Oranga: Māori Health Strategy and Whakamaua: Māori Health Action Plan 2020-2025 to ensure this mahi still meets the needs of the people we serve.
“Once updated, these will become an interim Hauora Māori Strategy, which will guide the government in advancing Māori health outcomes until 2025.”
