New skill standards to build healthcare workforce and improve outcomes for more than 1 million Kiwis living with long term conditions

Four charities have combined forces with Toitū te Waiora Community, Health, Education and Social Services Workforce Development Council to create new professional skill standards that will change the way health and community care workers support more than a million people with long term health conditions.

Stroke Aotearoa New Zealand, Diabetes New Zealand, Arthritis New Zealand and the Heart Foundation have worked together to develop a set of level 3 skill standards that will improve the care and support given to people living with conditions like stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease.

Chief Executive of Stroke Aotearoa, Jo Lambert said: “Long term health conditions are a significant issue for New Zealand. Around one in every four Kiwis are living with the impact of stroke, diabetes, arthritis or a heart condition – more than a million people - and we expect this to more than double within the next twenty years as our population ages. Working on the frontline, our charities are uniquely placed to see the unmet needs of people living with long term conditions and share our expertise in a way that will strengthen the healthcare workforce.”

The skill standards can be used in existing programmes of study leading to health and wellbeing qualifications via five individual micro-credential awards. Learners who complete all the micro-credentials will be eligible to gain a new NZQCF qualification in long-term conditions.

Long-term health conditions have the highest prevalence of disease within the New Zealand population. They are the leading cause of mortality, with one or more conditions experienced by approximately 25% of the population. As the population ages, the number of people living with these conditions will increase significantly.

“We have had consistent feedback from primary care, home and community care providers, and the aged care sector that the management of long-term health conditions solely through the primary medical, nursing, and allied health workforce, is becoming unsustainable. The objective of creating these new skill standards is to build the capability and capacity of potentially 30,000 healthcare workers, making a dramatic difference to the outcomes and quality of life for thousands of Kiwis so people can live longer in the community free from the burden of disease.

“Ultimately we wish to reduce pressure on the regulated health workforce, by reducing disease prevalence, improving condition management, and reducing unplanned hospital admissions.” says Lambert.

The five new skill standards have been listed on the Directory of Assessment and Skill Standards by Toitu Te Waiora. These are available to all providers for use in health and wellbeing programmes of study.

In collaboration with the four NGOs, Toitū Te Waiora is also developing the new level 3 qualification to support knowledge of long-term medical conditions for the non-regulated workforce. The qualification will be submitted to NZQA for approval in late March 2025.