In number of DHBs

Health Minister

Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare.

Green and NZ First ministers are not part of the group.

Green Party health spokeswoman Julie Anne Genter, while welcoming the review, questioned one of its key recommendations: that district health board members be directly appointed by the minister, rather than partially appointed through local body elections.

‘‘The proposed replacement of DHB elections with appointed boards must ensure communities can still have a say in health decisions that affect them, if it goes ahead,’’ Genter said.

‘‘Voter turnout for DHB elections is notoriously low, so we agree that the current system could be improved.’’

NZ First is yet to address the report, although the party has MPs in Cabinet who have, therefore, endorsed the report’s ‘‘direction of travel’’.

The report recommends the health budget gets a guaranteed adjustment each year to account for population growth and demographic changes.

This would effectively guarantee large annual increases to the health budget to avoid accusations of health being ‘‘cut’’ by stealth through increasing its budget in absolute terms, rather than by population.

The Government announced the review in 2018. Clark said his first priority would be to lock in changes made during the recent pandemic.

‘‘One immediate priority will be to lock in many of the positive changes made in recent months in response to Covid-19, such as the greater use of virtual consultations and e-prescribing and the renewed national focus on public health,’’ he said.

‘‘Reforming our health and disability system is a massive undertaking, and will not happen overnight. Meaningful change and improvement will take concerted effort over many years.’’

‘‘Reforming our health and disability system is a massive undertaking, and will not happen overnight.’’ David Clark