Te Whatu Ora says patient safety, privacy and security priority in data and digital changes

by Phil Pennington

Health New Zealand says any data and digital changes it makes will prioritise patient safety, privacy and security.

Te Whatu Ora has proposed to cut its core IT staff from about 2400 positions to about half that number.

Hundreds of those positions are currently vacant.

The agency in a video told staff its approach to cut waste will be to "fail early, fail often" in order to succeed over time, and to adopt simple IT solutions.

The PSA has said that strategy was too risky.

Te Whatu Ora said the video was an example of its open communication and robust consultation.

"Any changes we finally make will ensure we maintain patient safety, privacy and security as priorities."

The agency was completing an assessment of clinical quality and safety to identify and agree on how to mitigate any risks.

Now that feedback on the proposed cuts had closed, it was carefully considering the issues staff raised, it said.