Kirsten Wise: Planned telehealth changes to healthcare in Napier are concerning

Te Whatu Ora has proposed removing overnight urgent care in Napier and replacing it with a telehealth model.

THREE KEY FACTS

• Te Whatu Ora has proposed removing overnight urgent care in Napier and replacing it with a telehealth model.
• Napier’s isolation two years ago highlighted the need for local healthcare solutions, Mayor Kirsten Wise says.
• Healthcare is not within the remit of councils but she has concerns about Te Whatu Ora’s changes in Napier.

Two years ago, Napier was cut off completely from the rest of the region. Lifelines - those essential services like power, roads and telecommunications – were lost and we were isolated.

It highlighted our city’s need to ensure we can keep our community safe and well within our own territory, especially as we are bordered by rivers and the sea.

Above all else, access to medical care is crucial.

Changes made by Health NZ Te Whatu Ora to our health service in Napier are concerning and an area I have been monitoring closely.

Although this is well outside our sphere of influence, we do have a role to advocate for our community, on all fronts, especially those that directly impact their wellbeing.

Arguably, the public health service in Napier may not be fit-for-purpose.

Across the country, healthcare delivery models have evolved and adapted.

Change is acceptable. What is not acceptable is the decline in healthcare we are seeing in Napier.

We are a city of over 60,000 people and we are consistently sidelined when it comes to provision of services by Te Whatu Ora.

To use a well-worn metaphor, we don’t need an ambulance at the bottom of a hill, we need community and outpatient services that are easily accessible for our residents when and where they need them.

This may include the use of new technology and new ways of working, and certainly adaptations like telehealth may be part of that.

Most importantly we need constructive conversations before decisions of this calibre, which directly affect our people, are made.

Cyclone Gabrielle showed us we need local solutions and providing them takes a joined-up approach from leadership. This means action-focused ongoing dialogue, real working relationships, and opportunities to influence decisions.

When we are told what those decisions are after they are set in stone, we are robbed of our ability to ensure the best for our residents and to advocate for them.

A fitting way to service our health needs here may be a “hub-and-spoke” model. Rather than centralising all services, we need to reach out into the community and deliver what’s needed where it’s needed. And we must find ways for residents to have a say in the future of their healthcare services. Ensuring community voice is part of the discourse is critical to success.

Healthcare is not within the remit of councils.

We are limited in our ability to influence how providers like Te Whatu Ora service a community. We do, however, have strong links into our community.

As their elected representatives we feel we can speak on their behalf, especially when they share their concerns so emphatically.

It’s illogical and irresponsible to make big change without talking to the people those changes directly impact.

My door is always open, and our elected members are easily contactable.

We hear from our community daily and we’re always available to hear too from agencies such as Te Whatu Ora. We may not have all the answers, but we are more than willing to get involved in discussions to ensure our community has what it needs.