Emily Henderson: Whangārei hospital new operating theatre start of Northland health upgrade

Northland District Health Board chief executive Nick Chamberlain points out to Minister of Health Andrew Little the location of the planned hospital upgrade. Photo / Supplied

FROM PARLIAMENT

Last week I was delighted to welcome Health Minister Andrew Little to Whangārei to open our new operating theatres and laboratories, funded by the last Labour Government as the first concrete step in creating a fit-for-purpose hospital system for Northland.

Kiwis are generally pretty well served by our public health service, particularly when there's an emergency or we're seriously unwell, and overall, we're living longer and healthier lives.

However, with our growing and ageing population, and an increase in chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer and diabetes, there are major challenges ahead.

We also need to face the fact our health service does not deliver equally well for all. Māori and Pacific people have worse health outcomes and a shorter life expectancy, and that's totally unacceptable. That's why the Government made a Health and Disability System Review a priority last term.

The review's final report, Pūrongo Whakamutunga, sets out a path towards a better, more sustainable health system with clear lines of accountability - ending the postcode lottery and being more responsive to the needs of local communities.

This is particularly important for improving health outcomes for those most in need, including Māori and Pacific people, people with disabilities, and rural communities (all features of our region). Our health service must work well for everyone.

The Government has accepted reform is needed and now we've announced the next steps in our response. Our goals are to reduce fragmentation, strengthen leadership and accountability, and improve equity of access and outcomes for all Kiwis.

We'll do this by replacing the current 26 district health boards with one entity, Health New Zealand, responsible for running hospitals and commissioning primary and community health services.

These changes have been welcomed by our Northland District Health Board chief executive Dr Nick Chamberlain.

We're also establishing two new authorities: one responsible for public health issues; and the other responsible for monitoring Māori health and able to commission services directly.

The Ministry of Health will continue to oversee the system and advise the Government on policy. However, greater expertise and a strategic focus within the ministry will mean we can really start to address long-term challenges like the increase in chronic diseases.

Together, these changes will do away with duplication and unnecessary bureaucracy across regions, putting greater emphasis on primary and community health services.

Ultimately, it's about shifting the focus of our public health service from treatment to prevention – being the fence at the top of the cliff, rather than the ambulance at the bottom.

Plus it's about giving Māori greater control over the wellbeing of their people and more influence throughout the system – not only because it's central to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, but also to ensure everyone has the same access to good health outcomes.

These are just the first steps. There is more to do, and we are committed to working alongside the sector as we continue to rebuild a health and disability system that is more equitable and sustainable.

This is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our public health service, and for Whangārei and Northland, where so many of the problems and inequities of the old system are so clearly apparent.

• Emily Henderson is the electorate MP for Whangārei. She can be contacted at emily.henderson@parliament.govt.nz