REFORM SHORTS: Te Whatu Ora extends locality deadline, sticks with primary care contracts

“You don’t need to be a member of a locality partnership group to receive health funding in the new system”

The input of locality partnership groups into locality plans is now due by 30 April – an extension of about nine weeks.

The new date was stated yesterday by Te Whatu Ora national commissioning director Abbe Anderson during an online stakeholder hui run by her agency and Te Aka Whai Ora.

Te Whatu Ora had previously indicated it wanted to receive draft plans by the end of February.

Ms Anderson also briefly touched on the process for establishing more localities. She has tasked her team with, by month’s end, giving clear guidance on how to establish a locality.

This will be “an agreed path to the formation and support that we will make available for emerging locality partnership groups”.

READ MORE:

• Localities push towards deadline: Early intentions confirm vision of a future without ‘silos’
• REFORM SHORTS: A ‘guidebook of sorts’ for locality formation
• Locality formation to become more standardised to avoid 'chaos'

Meanwhile, Hauraki PHO has published on its website a handy guide to localities and the terminology used by the central health agencies.

The guide says one characteristic of a locality is that it is a partnership with mana whenua, recognising their tino rangatiratanga.

“Provider networks will work together to deliver on the locality plan. The mechanisms bringing together providers across health and social care will include contractual arrangements, shared financial incentives and data-sharing arrangements. Provider networks will work with a wider group of community organisations to support comprehensive primary care teams – making more care available closer to home.

“Localities are not intended to commission services directly. However, the partners within a locality will work with [Te Whatu Ora] Health New Zealand and [Te Aka Whai Ora] Māori Health Authority to provide local insights about the needs of communities. Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards are strategic commissioning partners with Health New Zealand and the Māori Health Authority and will help determine Māori needs, aspirations and priorities and monitoring of locality plans. Health New Zealand and the Māori Health Authority will carry out the formal procurement and contracting role.”