Health system reset: Minister Andrew Little ready for big changes

A day after a new health reform Bill was passed, Health Minister Andrew Little says everything is set to go early next month.

Speaking to Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking this morning, he said "all the machinery is ready to go" in relation to the new health system reset happening in a few weeks.

"First of July - the new machine is set to run," he said.

Little was speaking a day after The Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Bill passed its third reading in Parliament - one step from becoming law.

On July 1, Health New Zealand and the Māori Health Authority will become permanent entities to replace what has been dubbed a fragmented district health board system.

Health Minister Andrew Little said the new health system is "ready to go" come July 1. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Little said the benefit of a Health NZ system will be that one entity will be looking after all hospital services and will therefore be able to make long-term plans and set priorities on a nationwide basis.

"It's not just 20 different entities claiming what they want from one period to the next."

Little said the head office will be based in Auckland, not Wellington.

"One of the important devices for the new system is locality planning."

That is a process where all the health providers and community representatives in a particular place - about 70 to 80 of them - will come together and work out what that particular area and population group need.

That process would be done about every three years, Little said.

He acknowledged the health system's ability to stay in control during the pandemic, when other health systems around the world became overwhelmed at the height of Covid-19.