Before the last election, Labour MPs were conceding that the health system was stuffed.
Given the coalition government was presiding over it, you'd think they might have been more circumspect.
But the fact is, our health system is so outdated and non-fit for purpose, it can't be ignored that it is indeed, buggered.
Politically, Labour will avoid setting targets with the changes - targets have a habit of biting politicians on the rear and becoming infected wounds, come election time.
Anyone remember those BHAGS (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) Labour set itself around building 100,000 new KiwiBuild homes, a few years back?
A DIY mum or dad with a calculator and the construction acumen to build a kitset letterbox could have determined it was physically impossible to build 100,000 homes in the time Labour had proposed.
Regardless, the changes are politically significant
The 2020 election's tide of red was, in many voters eyes, down to PM Jacinda Ardern's crisis management of the Covid-19 epidemic.
Many questioned whether she and her team had been tested politically - this health reform will test them. It will roll well into and beyond the next election cycle.
That allows Labour to say at the next election "judge us when we're done, let us finish the job". Conversely, it will also give National opportunity to pull apart the transformation.
Ultimately though, we will judge the reform based on how it affects us, and our friends and whanau.
There is some low hanging fruit from the reform tree that can be harvested in Hawke's Bay, if we can find the workers to pick it.
Stop giving patients ice blocks, because there is no air conditioning for patients, for one.
The reality is that our DHB, faced with where to prioritise spending, had to let recovering patients swelter.
It might have led to better acute health outcomes overall, but it's a PR fail for a hospital judged by the court of public opinion.
A court which is also quick to judge inadequate A&E facilities, given we all tend to end up there at some point. Hawke's Bay Hospital's seems disproportionately small compared to other regions.
The disparity around Maori health is a national problem, and strategic partnerships are important, but iwi and health leaders want to see greater tangible improvements around provision and delivery of services.
Mental health is something we are still learning to talk about - it occasionally feels as if we are too scared to say the word 'suicide' out loud for fear of negative repercussions.
We are still carefully stepping our way through the field of mental health care for very good reasons. But it remains an area that sees more lives lost annually than on our roads, yet the road safety conversation is considerably louder.
Like A&Es, it seems odd that Hawke's Bay doesn't have a decent cancer treatment facility.
While not something that is always directly aligned with DHB health care provision, it is a simple heath sector fix if the money can be found.
If politicians perceive that negative public perception can be quelled with a new cancer treatment centre, who knows what might happen.
It's far too early to diagnose the outcome of the reform, but as far as health goes, it's always good to get good news.
But be ready for a slow recovery, now that the course of treatment has been prescribed.
