Decision delay on disability services seen as opportunity by the disability sector

THE QUESTION, where disability sup­port services best fit, has been delayed until September.

The final report of the Health and Disability System Review had placed such services within the Ministry of Health, with responsibility for conduct­ing needs assessments and coordinat­ing service provision going to primary and community networks via DHBs.

Advocates for the disabled commu­nity are strongly against that recom­mendation, saying that, despite the review’s expansive title, they did not have any meaningful engagement with the review panel. They said handing oversight to DHBs would not give dis­abled people greater choice and control over their lives.

Health minister Andrew Little re­sponded by excluding disability servic­es from his wider health reform package. Mr Little called on ministry officials to come up with a new range of options in conjunction with organi­sations such as the New Zealand Disa­bility Support Network. The options are to be announced in September, with further sector feedback then sought.

The minister acknowledged the re­view’s failure to look fully at the needs of disabled people, the ongoing poor health outcomes of disabled people, and the lack of accurate data on the wider community.

DISABLED PERSONS Assembly chief executive Prudence Walker says the as­sembly has been in communication with health officials ahead of work­shops, where possible options for disa­bility services are to be discussed.

The assembly and CCS Disability Ac­tion are calling for the creation of a new authority, so that disability services would be removed from under the “health” umbrella.

CCS chief executive David Matthews says what is needed is a separate gov­ernmental entity responsible for fund­ing and supporting new disability initiatives and providing resources.

Disability sector advocates and whānau say disability is not a health is­sue, and services should focus on en­suring people with disabilities can lead good lives.

Mr Matthews wants better data col­lection on how disabled people engage with healthcare.

The most recent New Zealand Health Survey shows those with disabilities are the most likely to put off medical treat­ment because of cost.

He says there are also significant bar­riers to care for Māori, Pacific peoples and those living rurally.

Jane Cartwright is chair of Bracken­bridge, a Canterbury-based charitable organisation assisting people with in­tellectual disabilities and autism.

Ms Cartwright would like future dis­ability support to follow a social model, rather than a health-based one, with funding following the individual.

But she says such a system requires infrastructure and high levels of trust in the system.

Ms Cartwright says optimism rose during the round of health reforms two years ago, when services for disabled people were reclassified to become part of Tier 2 (hospital and specialist). How­ever, she says the arrival of COVID-19 prevented any benefit from this.

Ms Walker says she hopes the pro­posed national health IT system will allow medical records to be shared across regions, which would help people with disabilities who require medical attention while travelling.

There are serious delays with the cur­rent system, as practitioners are una­ware of the patient’s medical history.

But she says the op­tions under development must note the diversity within the disabled com­munity, which includes people from every ethnic­ity, gender, orientation and locality.

We hold the documents so you don’t have to! Our coverage of the Little reforms references a number of documents which we have gathered together on our website