FIX: Finishing touches for costed health plan

“It’s important we get the details right before presenting it to New Zealanders”

The new central health agencies are putting the finishing touches on a costed plan for health services.

The interim New Zealand Health Plan was widely expected to be published in September and New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa has been trying to find out if the timetable still holds true.

“Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand and Te Aka Whai Ora [Māori Health Authority] are in the process of finalising the interim New Zealand Health Plan,” says a response emailed by senior Te Whatu Ora media advisor Cedric Horner and attributed to an unnamed spokesperson for Te Whatu Ora and the Ministry of Health.

“As this is the first health plan for our new health system, it’s important we get the details right before presenting it to New Zealanders. We will let you know the release date as soon as it is confirmed.”

The plan is required by the Pae Ora [Healthy Futures] Act 2022, which says, “The purpose of the plan is to provide a 3-year costed plan for the delivery of publicly funded services by Health New Zealand and the Māori Health Authority. The plan must give effect to the GPS [Government Policy Statement on Health].”

The interim GPS was published in July.

New Zealand Doctor also asked Te Whatu Ora when to expect the announcement of the next three localities.

“Regarding the three new localities, work is still underway, and we do not yet have an announcement date,” Kylie Ormrod, the national co-director, localities, says in the email.

Te Whatu Ora chief executive Fepulea’i Margie Apa said, of localities, in a webinar on 7 September: “We’ve got three more we will be able to announce in the next few months.”

The first nine localities were announced in April by health minister Andrew Little and were established as prototypes.