Māori health group hopes for open dialogue with new minister Simeon Brown

Hāpai Te Hauora chief executive Jacqui Harema.

• Māori public health organisation Hapai Te Hauora hopes Simeon Brown will have an open mind in his new role.
• Brown replaced Shane Reti as Health Minister, raising some concerns due to his lack of health credentials.
• Hapai emphasises the need for investment in public health and addressing systemic issues affecting Māori.

Māori public health organisation Hāpai Te Hauora hopes incoming minister Simeon Brown has an open mind and an open door as he steps into his new role.

On Sunday Brown replaced the highest ranking Māori minister Shane Reti as Health Minister.

Hāpai Te Hauora chief executive Jacqui Harema said while there was concern of Brown’s lack of health credentials, she was keeping an open mind.

“There are concerns around some of the good things Shane Reti was doing that may no longer be a focus.

“But Brown’s lack of health experience may be a good thing.”

Harema said Hapai had some dealings with Reti “but his officials tried to keep him away from us”.

“So we have to give Simeon a chance.”

Health Minister Simeon Brown

Reti had a strong relationship with Hapai, particularly his efforts to address Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Harema said with the Government’s focus on savings in the already lean health system, public health was being slashed.

Hapai provides a strategic Māori health focus to organisations and works regionally and nationally to address health inequities – especially among Māori whānau.

“Even though Brown hasn’t got health experience, this will be a good opportunity for him to talk and listen to those in the health system and then work to make improvements fast,” Harema said.

“Public health has been slashed as the focus is on emergency health, but I am hopeful he also has a strong focus on prevention as well so our people don’t enter the health system.

“The ambulance at the top of the cliff, which is public health, needs more investment and it will save the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff a lot of money in the long term.

“We’ve all read the reviews about the health system and how it does not cater to Māori. Those issues haven’t changed over a long time, and they’re even coming more to the forefront. We’ve got so many issues that still haven’t improved over the last many, many years.”

Brown told the Herald his main focus will be on achieving the Government’s health targets announced in March:

90% of patients to receive cancer management within 31 days of the decision to treat.

95% of children to be fully immunised at 24 months of age.

95% of patients to be admitted, discharged or transferred from an emergency department within six hours.

95% of patients to wait less than four months for a first specialist appointment.

95% of patients to wait less than four months for elective treatment.

“The emphasis is on delivery,” Brown said.

“That’s what the focus is going to be and look, we need to take a pragmatic approach to that, we look at everything that needs to be done to make sure that we are delivering against those [targets].”