Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Resourcing key in improving health of Northlanders: Health reforms reaction

By Liam Rātana
Northern Advocate·
21 Apr, 2021 06:00 PM6 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Equity Lead for Mahitahi Hauora and Board Member of the Northland DHB Dr Mataroria Lyndon (Ngāpuhi, Ngātiwai, Ngāti Whātua). Photo / Supplied

Equity Lead for Mahitahi Hauora and Board Member of the Northland DHB Dr Mataroria Lyndon (Ngāpuhi, Ngātiwai, Ngāti Whātua). Photo / Supplied

Te Tai Tokerau is set to be a major winner as a result of the recently announced reforms to Aotearoa's failing health system, as long as the resources are allocated where needed, according to health experts.

"There are certain ways you can measure whether or not there is fair equity ... What this highlights is that there is inequity for Māori in the current health system," said chief executive officer of Te Hau Ora O Ngā Puhi Te Rōpu Poa (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Te Rino, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kahu).

Health Minister Andrew Little announced the reforms alongside Associate Minister of Health (Māori Health) Peeni Henare (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi) and Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall yesterday morning.

The reforms are set to radically reshape the way the country's health system operates, scrapping the 20 existing District Health Boards (DHBs) in favour of a single united national entity called Health NZ.

"The health system is fragmented and under strain. I acknowledge there are criticisms of the funding formula for GPs (capitation) specifically that it doesn't take account of population factors such as ethnicity and socio-economic status, or take in to account the increasing complexity of a growing number of patients," Minister Little recently told 'The Advocate'.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Health NZ will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the country's entire health system, including a unified public health service, bringing together 12 Public Health Units.

Alongside Health NZ will be the Māori Health Authority, charged with ensuring the system has a strong focus on health outcomes and care for Māori. The Māori Health Authority will also have the ability to commission services in partnership with Health NZ.

"It's trailblazing in terms of tangata whenua being able to decide what is best for us, with the resources there to act accordingly," said Poa.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

There will also be a new Public Health Agency formed, aimed at providing national leadership on public health policy, strategy, and intelligence. The hope is that this new agency will help the country to better understand and respond to threats to public health and place scientific evidence at the heart of policymaking.

Read More

  • Major health sector shake-up: What this means for Māori - NZ Herald
  • Covid 19 coronavirus: Top Māori medical expert Dr Rawiri Jansen quits Government immunisation g...
  • Bombshell $300m Māori health proposal shocks Northland healthcare - NZ Herald
  • Maori health issues - NZ Herald

The above changes are being made in order to allow the Ministry of Health to focus on stewardship, strategy, and policy, as commissioning and operational roles are moved into the Māori Health Authority and Health NZ.

Discover more

Shortage of staff main issue for Northland's health sector

23 Apr 05:07 AM
New Zealand

Over 50? The region where you can walk in for a Covid jab

26 Apr 09:21 PM

Health reforms leave some Northland GPs feeling overlooked

27 Apr 06:00 PM

Whangārei Hospital unveils new operating theatres, catheter lab

07 May 05:00 PM

"I'm excited about the Māori Health Authority and the Public Health Authority ... The devil is in the detail in terms of how it's going to be implemented over the next few years. What I hope to see is greater control of health services from Māori," said Equity Lead for Mahitahi Hauora and Board Member of the Northland DHB Dr Mataroria Lyndon (Ngāpuhi, Ngātiwai, Ngāti Whātua).

"One important detail is around the pūtea (money). The Māori Health Authority is going to be commissioning but how much resources will they have?" said Lyndon.

While many have been receptive to the changes, there are concerns from some about the effects of scrapping the nation's 20 DHBs will have on local representation, especially in large rural areas such as Northland.

Deputy leader of the New Zealand National Party and the party's health spokesman Dr Shane Reti (Ngāpuhi, Ngātiwai, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kura) has called for Te Tai Tokerau to retain its DHB.

"I am gravely concerned for the loss of local voice. Northlanders know best what their health needs are," Dr Reti said.

"Removing DHBs is similar to when Regional Health Authorities were centralised, it didn't work then and it won't work now. The Government should be looking to maintain regional identities and exploring the consolidation of some functions across DHBs, like asset management, not getting rid of them entirely," said Reti in a press release.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Despite Reti's concerns, the Northland DHB (NDHB) has come out in support of the changes, stating it will empower primary and community health organisations to provide better care and focus on prevention, rather than being reactive.

"We believe that these are positive changes for Northland. Having one central entity means that the challenges and issues currently facing all DHBs will be shared, and health services will be better connected both regionally and nationally," said NDHB CEO Dr Nick Chamberlain.

"A revamped, and hopefully better funded primary and community sector will have a greater focus on our local communities and what happens to them, and we will retain our local voice through Health NZ at our local district and locality level," he said.

Reti - a GP and former NDHB member - also said National did not support the establishment of a separate Māori Health Authority as "it runs the risk of a fragmented two-tier system".

However, experts on the ground in Te Tai Tokerau such as Poa welcomed the devolution of power and resources to Māori. She said Māori Health Providers already have the networks and trust in place with local communities.

Poa claimed a dedicated Māori Health Authority would enable more effective resourcing and stronger accountability to Māori from those at a decision-making level.

"We have intel and we can get into the nooks and crannies of our areas. There's a high level of trust with our whānau," said Poa.

Meanwhile, Lyndon said he hoped inequities in-terms of resourcing for DHBs would be addressed through the changes. He said some DHBs currently offer more services than others.

Poa said that these inequities created mistrust in the health system from Māori and prevented them from seeking help before it was too late.

"Our whānau don't go to the doctors unless they really need to, unless they're ready to be admitted to hospital ... They can't afford to go to the doctors so they go to Accident and Emergency and then get admitted," said Poa.

Ngāti Hine Health chief executive Geoff Milner (Ngāti Pōrou) welcomed the changes and was particularly excited about the inclusion of Te Tiriti in the framework. He said the partnership would allow patients and whānau to be at the centre of the nation's health system.

"The Government has heard the cry of Māori who are feeling disabled and disenfranchised in our current system," Milner said.

"Te Tai Tokerau now has a brand-new opportunity to build a greater cohesiveness as everyone contributing to the region's health care can come together. The elevation of Te Tiriti of Māori at levels of decision-making means there is a responsibility of all Northlanders to better understand what that means and what does partnership really look like," Milner said.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

'Posed little to no risk': Sand mining company defends operations

17 Jun 12:04 AM
Northern Advocate

Hot rod round-up to feature nine-year passion project for charity

17 Jun 12:00 AM
Northern Advocate

Horse dies after collision with vehicle on SH12

16 Jun 09:25 PM

How one volunteer makes people feel seen

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

'Posed little to no risk': Sand mining company defends operations

'Posed little to no risk': Sand mining company defends operations

17 Jun 12:04 AM

The sandspit has lost 420,000 tonnes of sand in six years.

Hot rod round-up to feature nine-year passion project for charity

Hot rod round-up to feature nine-year passion project for charity

17 Jun 12:00 AM
Horse dies after collision with vehicle on SH12

Horse dies after collision with vehicle on SH12

16 Jun 09:25 PM
Matariki-themed film by Māori director set to premiere in Northland

Matariki-themed film by Māori director set to premiere in Northland

16 Jun 07:00 PM
Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka
sponsored

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search