Healthcare reforms
21 April 2021
Source:
New Zealand GovernmentPublication date:
2021Health changes
- All DHBs will be replaced by one national organisation, Health New Zealand
- A new Māori Health Authority will have the power to commission health services, monitor the state of Māori health and develop policy
- New Public Health Agency will be created
- Strengthened Ministry of Health will monitor performance and advise Government
Putting a greater emphasis on primary healthcare and ensuring fairer access for all New Zealanders are two of the main drivers of health sector reforms announced today by Health Minister Andrew Little.
“We are going to put the emphasis squarely on primary and community healthcare and will do away with duplication and unnecessary bureaucracy between regions, so that our health workers can do what they do best – keep people well.
“The reforms will mean that for the first time, we will have a truly national health system, and the kind of treatment people get will no longer be determined by where they live,” Andrew Little said.
The reforms will see:
All 20 district health boards replaced with a new Crown entity, Health New Zealand, which will be responsible for running hospitals and commissioning primary and community health services. It will have four regional divisions.
Responsibility for public health issues will rest with a new Public Health Authority, and a new Māori Health Authority will monitor the state of Māori health and have the ability to commission services directly. ...
See also
Aotearoa New Zealand's health system is changing the way we structure and deliver health services to ensure all New Zealanders get the services they need and to meet future challenges.
The new health system will be a single health service providing consistent, high-quality health services for all people. The Ministry of Health will be focused on policy, strategy and regulation while a new body, Health New Zealand, will take over the planning and commissioning of services and the functions of the existing 20 District Health Boards to remove duplication and provide true national planning. A Māori Health Authority will work alongside Health NZ to improve services and achieve equitable health outcomes for Māori. ...