College of Nurses Aotearoa: Health and Disability Structure and System Reforms

The College of Nurses Aotearoa (NZ) wholeheartedly welcomes the structural and system reforms for our health and disability sector announced by Minister Little and Associate Minister Henare this week.

The recognition our country requires a true national health service to deliver quality care outcomes to all wherever they may live and whatever their whakapapa is excellent news.

Our District Health Board (DHB) structure has tried to keep pace with demand and significant effort has been put into regional planning, yet this has been frustrated by no real sense of national endeavour. With the creation of Health NZ and its partner Māori Health Authority (MHA) to contract for all services on a national basis we can really get to grips in ensuring all our population receives quality care.

Establishing the MHA undergirds a commitment to provide Māori with care respectful of their need and kaupapa. As a partner to Health NZ, we would like to see the MHA both ensure services are provided as suitable to Māori and that the unique wisdom embedded within Te Ao Hauora Māori might assist in the delivery of the best possible care for all.

The Whare Tapa Wha model so familiar to all nurses is an essential template for any decent health and disability service.

With respect to primary and community services in particular, the College acknowledges some PHOs have delivered excellent services, yet others have not fared so well.

The details are not available as yet but we look forward to working with decision makers to ensure a system is developed through which quality services are equitably delivered by the most appropriate health care providers in a system driven by desire to provide the best not the most profitable care.

With national organisation should come national systems and national planning, and within that is theopportunity to once and for all sort out our workforce requirements and how they are funded. Honest discussions need to be had as to the nature of our national nursing service and what we are prepared to invest to deliver the best possible care against well established international modelling. The right number of nurses in the right places with the right remuneration for their services will bring the right quality of care.

These reforms are crucial for Aotearoa NZ and the College looks forward to engaging with all stakeholders,policy and decision makers to provide our expertise in assisting with the development of the best possible national health system for all.

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