Two new national health organisations will be introduced on July 1, 2022: The Māori Health Authority and Health New Zealand (HNZ), and on this date, District Health Boards (DHBs) will be disestablished.
Pegasus Health Strategic Advisor, Gary Allen, has spent over 25 years working in the Canterbury health sector and over the past few months has been providing leadership and guidance as Pegasus Health prepares to operate in the new environment.
“The goals of the reform is to improve the health and wellbeing of all New Zealanders and to achieve this by focusing on equitable, accessible, cohesive, people-centred services,” says Gary.
Health New Zealand is being established as the key government entity that will own all hospitals and run them on a day-to-day basis, commissioning services within our communities and providing access to care, similar to the current role of DHBs.
The Māori Health Authority’s focus will be on bringing the voice of Māori to the health system, by commissioning Kaupapa Māori services that will working closely with Health New Zealand to provide a whole range of services for the community.
“The important thing for Cantabrians to know is that health services will continue uninterrupted. The hospital will still be there, and your GP won’t change. What is intended is that health system will become more connected and cohesive. Providers will start to work as networks, working together they will achieve common goals and outcomes for the communities they are serving,” he says.
The key objective is to build stronger links between your primary health care, mental health, dieticians, physiotherapists and hauora Māori services.
Learn more about the reforms at futureofhealth.govt.nz.