Committed to ‘by Māori, for Māori’ health care

Dana KirkpatrickMP for East Coast

Opinion

Last week in Parliament the legislation to disestablish the Māori Health Authority passed all stages. This heralds the start of the coalition Government’s new vision for Māori health — a health system focused on need, that is outcomes-focused and with decisions made closer to home and hapū. Despite what you might read, this bill does not detract from our focus on improving Māori health and the health of all New Zealanders.

The coalition Government is committed to the “by Māori, for Māori” approach to health care — particularly in the likes of our region where we have large areas of rural, isolated communities, sometimes with hours of driving before they reach a doctor or health facility.

We fully recognise that the work being done by local hauora in the regions will deliver more than a bureaucracy in Wellington. We support devolution, self-determination and resourcing those entities already delivering health services in a practical and efficient way.

We are also working really hard to get Health New Zealand focused on front-line delivery, supporting the health workforce and an improved health sector.

Overall, the coalition Government is focused on addressing health inequities, based on need. The health system should not be about endless plans and reports or bureaucratic structures.

The disestablishment of the Māori Health Authority enables local solutions rather than national bureaucracies. Decisions will go back to community, rather than out of Wellington. A great example of this is the December announcement of $50 million to help Māori health providers lift immunisation rates.

Health Minister Shane Reti clearly outlined his vision for the future of the health system in the House last week.

The Minister confirmed iwi-Māori partnership boards will have a role in planning and delivery of healthcare in their communities.

Merging the functions of the Māori Health Authority and transferring its role into the public health system will mean the health system keeps the expertise it needs to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders, including Māori.

Unlike the previous Government, we are focused on using data, measuring progress, and working with people who know their communities best. Targets will be at the forefront of our health policies.

Soon, we will be outlining our clear health targets to drive improved outcomes; these will be ambitious targets that will take some time and resources to meet.

One of the fundamental differences in approach to health is enabled by this legislation: this Government believes local input into health services, especially primary and community services, is good for everyone and a priority for this Government.

We’ve already made strong progress in improving New Zealand’s health system. As a start, we have increased security in emergency departments to help keep patients and our hard-working doctors, nurses and other ED staff safe. We have announced we are taking extra steps towards extending free breast screening to women aged up to 74. And to grow more domestically trained doctors, the Government has committed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Waikato to progress a third medical school.