Alliance aims to change face of health
Regional health bosses are teaming up to keep people out of hospital.
Counties Manukau Health and five public health organisations have signed the District Alliance Agreement, under which organisations will put aside their own agendas to improve South Auckland’s health.
It will see ProCare, National Hauora Coalition, East Health Trust, Total Healthcare and Alliance Health partner with the district health board to oversee Franklin, Otara-Mangere, East and Manukau.
Each locality will be managed by a general manager and be hosted by the prominent PHO partner in the area.
‘‘This is all about coming together and redesigning the way health is delivered so that we can keep people out of hospital,’’ health board primary care and community services director Benedict Hefford says.
Middlemore Hospital had 12,000 admissions last year that were ‘‘potentially avoidable’’ with earlier treatment.
‘‘What the agreement means is hospital and community doctors working together to identify and improve the patient’s journey, especially for those with high needs,’’ he says.
ProCare chairman Dr Peter Didsbury has welcomed the chance to work together with a regional focus.
‘‘We have to do this if we want to provide better healthcare in the future.’’
Counties Manukau has a diverse, high-needs population of 500,000 and a health budget of $1.4 billion so the pressure is on to improve the region’s wellbeing without increasing costs.
Health board chief executive Geraint Martin says the ambitious partnership could change the game.
‘‘Everywhere the same message is coming up – we have a healthcare system that’s fit for the 20th cen- tury but it’s not fit for the 21st century.
‘‘The 21st century is about networks and patient empowerment.
‘‘What happens in South Auck- land will happen in the rest of New Zealand.
‘‘And what happens in New Zealand today will happen in many other OECD countries of healthcare change.’’