Health shake-up set to be revealed
Govt response to Simpson report to be detailed by Andrew Little
New Zealanders will today learn the fate of the country’s health system, as the Government prepares to unveil its response to a “oncein-a-generation” report.
That report, released in June 2020, made a number of recommendations on how to fix New Zealand’s “fragmented” healthcare system.
Health Minister Andrew Little will this morning outline the Government’s plan.
Upon the report’s release, former Prime Minister Helen Clark’s chief-of-staff Heather Simpson — who spearheaded the report — said the health sector was overly complex and is in need of major reform.
She recommended slashing the number of District Health Boards (DHBs) from 20 to between eight and 12 and for the democratic election of its officials to be ended.
The report said DHB representatives should be appointed by the Minister of Health.
Simpson and her team also recommended an entirely new health agency be set up to focus on the operational and financial side of the health and disability sector.
The Government is also being asked to consider setting up a Māori Health Authority, which would advise on Māori health and report on the performance of the system.
One of the big questions that Little will answer this morning will be how much power this body will have.
In all, the report made more than 100 recommendations.
Simpson said it was “probably the most comprehensive integrated look” at New Zealand’s healthcare system “in a generation”.
“The health and disability system is under serious stress,”
the report said.
“From a workforce point of view, staff are feeling more and more stressed, facing increasing demands and significant shortages in supply.”
At the time, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the Government would make a decision on which recommendations it would make law after the election.
The 2020 Budget notes the Treasury is expecting DHB deficits of $1 billion a year for the next four years.
“There is a significant risk that DHBs’ deficits may be higher than what has been included in the fiscal forecasts, which would adversely impact the Government’s operating balance and net core Crown debt,” according to Budget documents.
The report’s major recommendations included:
● Shifting to a greater focus on population health.
● Creating a new Crown Entity, provisionally called Health NZ, focused on operational delivery of health and disability services and financial performance.
● Reducing the number of DHBs from the current 20 to eight to 12 within five years, and moving to fully appointed Boards.
● Creating a Māori Health Authority to advise on all aspects of Māori Health policy and to monitor and report on the performance of the system with respect to Māori.
● Greater integration between primary and community care and hospital/ specialist services.