Sport Whanganui-led Fit for Surgery programme cut; Health NZ confirms new referral pathway
Fit for Surgery helped patients who needed to lose weight before knee and hip surgeries.
Health NZ's group director of operations Katherine Fraser-Chapple said a referral pathway was now in
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
9 hours ago
- Scoop
Māori Health Leaders Warn Against Government Bill Stripping Treaty Rights
Ka anga atu au ki te anamata, ka titiro ki tua ki te pitomata, he ao anō kei mua i te aroaro – he reanga hou, he reanga reo! Te Pae Oranga o Ruahine o Tararua is today cautioning the Government's proposed Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill and its reduction of Māori governance in health decision-making. Te Pae Oranga Pītau Whakarei (Chief Executive) Naomi Manu MNZM says, 'While we are disappointed with the proposal to remove our direct link to Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand and the Government, we remain resolute in our focus on oranga tonutanga (lifelong wellness) for whānau in our rohe, and upholding mana motuhake (self-determination) in health decision-making.' Te Pae Oranga was established as the Mid-Central Iwi Māori Partnership Board in the 2022 Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act to represent and advocate for the health needs of the 44,000 Māori in the Manawatū, Palmerston North, Horowhenua, Tararua and Ōtaki regions. 'On behalf of the seven mana whenua in this rohe who entrusted us with their mandate, we will continue to advocate for the health needs and aspirations of whānau in this rohe, advise how the healthcare system is performing, and recommend health system design and service delivery to improve outcomes for our whānau.' Te Pae Oranga says the Bill proposes changes that undermine Te Tiriti obligations, iwi and Māori governance roles in health, and equity protections across vulnerable population groups. The proposed Bill strips key functions of the locally appointed IMPBs, removes explicit Crown responsibilities concerning Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and removes the health equity principles, which significantly weaken Crown responsibilities to marginalised populations, including Māori, disabled communities, refugees, migrants, LGBTQIA+ communities, and others. The principles guide the healthcare system to specifically work towards better outcomes for communities that historically suffer worse health outcomes, including Māori, who die an average of seven years earlier than non-Māori in New Zealand. 'We agree with the Minister of Health's focus on the healthcare system's accountability, efficiency and delivery of better outcomes for patients. Te Pae Oranga already holds proven solutions and local data to inform this work, and we invite Health Minister Simeon Brown to engage with us on how to deliver those outcomes together,' says Manu. Manu asks, 'Who is better placed to represent Māori communities than locally chosen Māori health leaders? We're still here and we will continue doing the work to improve the health system.' In April this year, Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand reported back to Te Pae Oranga results of their hauora Māori services outcome reporting and noted that: '43% of the people accessing hauora Māori healthcare services in the Mid-Central district do not identify as Māori, showing we know what works across the system.' The Government introduced the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill to Parliament on 2 July to amend the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022. Parliament referred the Bill to the Health Select Committee, which will receive written submissions until 1 pm on 18 August 2025. The Committee will then report back to Parliament by 24 November 2025. The 2022 Act established the Iwi Māori Partnership Boards (IMPBs) and outlined their role in engaging with communities, assessing the state of hauora Māori, monitoring health sector performance, and working with Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora to develop priorities for improving hauora Māori. About Te Pae Oranga o Ruahine o Tararua Te Pae Oranga o Ruahine o Tararua is the Iwi Māori Partnership Board established in the 2022 Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act to listen to and advocate for the health needs of the 44,000 Māori in the Manawatū, Palmerston North, Horowhenua, Tararua and Ōtaki regions known as the Mid-Central District. Te Pae Oranga is an iwi-mandated Charitable Trust representing the seven mana whenua, mātāwaka and mana whaikaha across the Mid-Central district. Te Pae Oranga board members were appointed by the Mid-Central community after its establishment in 2022. As in the first article of Te Tiriti o Waitangi – governance over Māori affairs – Te Pae Oranga works towards better health outcomes for the Mid-Central district. About Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards IMPBs are representatives connected with and appointed by their communities because they are best placed to understand the needs of whānau, hapū and iwi in their respective regions, working to a future of pae ora (good health). IMPBs' role is to listen to the health needs and priorities of Māori communities, and work to meet these with government and the health sector.
RNZ News
16 hours ago
- RNZ News
Christchurch Hospital staff poised to strike for two hours Friday afternoon
Nurses last struck for better staffing levels in July. Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel Nurses on three wards at Christchurch Hospital will walk off the job on Friday afternoon to protest chronic staffing shortages. The Nurses' Organisation (NZNO) said union members in theatre, post-anaesthetic care and radiology would strike for two hours from 2pm. NZNO Christchurch Hospital theatre delegate Gayl Marryatt said the strike was a result of the desperate staffing issues faced by members on a daily basis that had not been resolved in bargaining with Health New Zealand. "We hear of staff on the wards going home in tears, because they can't provide the care that they feel the patients need," she said. "The medications and treatments are getting delayed, because they just don't have the time to get round all their patients. "I've heard of hospital aids who sit with patients on the ward and that patient, in an entire shift, doesn't see a nurse, because they have a hospital aid with them, because nurses are dealing with sicker patients. "We are taking this action so Te Whatu Ora recognises there are not enough nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants and kaimahi hauora [health workers]." Health New Zealand encouraged the union to return to bargaining. "We are aware that NZNO have issued a strike notice for a two-hour withdrawal of labour tomorrow from 2-4pm, covering Christchurch Hospital members working in perioperative, theatres and radiology services," said industrial relations executive lead Robyn Shearer. "Contingency plans are in place to ensure the continued delivery of health services during the strike." Shearer said the NZNO withdrew a two-hour strike notice in Christchurch on Wednesday on behalf of perioperative, theatre and radiology services staff, shortly before they were due to walk off the job. "Given the notice, Health NZ contingency planners prepared accordingly, and postponed planned care and first specialist appointments in the impacted departments," she said. "The strike notice was lifted 45 minutes before the action was due to start, leaving no time to re-instate the postponed planned care and appointments. "Health NZ is deeply concerned at these actions and the impacts this will have on the 85 patients, who had their care postponed yesterday. "While we recognise the right of NZNO members to strike, actions such as those taken yesterday in Christchurch have real impacts on patients." Nurses planned to hold nationwide industrial action on 2 September and 4 September, calling for better nurse-to-patient ratios and a return to hiring every graduate. Health NZ said it was deeply concerned by September's strike plans, which it said would cause the postponement of more than 2200 planned procedures, 3600 first-specialist appointments and 8000 follow-up appointments. Nurses last went on strike in late July, [ with similar demands]. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Nurses' strike to have 'major impact'
By Kate Green of RNZ Nurses union members want better nurse-to-patient ratios and a return to hiring every graduate, as they prepare to strike for two days in early September. Health New Zealand said it was deeply concerned by the strike plans, which it said would cause the postponement of more than 2200 planned procedures, 3600 first specialist appointments and 8000 follow-up appointments. Nurses Organisation chief executive Paul Goulter said their Te Whatu Ora members voted strongly to go on strike, after a solution could not be found through bargaining. The strike action is planned to take place from 7am to 11pm on Tuesday, 2 September and Thursday, 4 September. "I think it very clearly points to nurses being fed up with the government's inability to resource the system properly to ensure patient safety," Goulter said. Nurses were stretched and burnt out, and the union was asking the health agency to return to the bargaining table with a commitment to hire more staff when staffing models required them, to hire every nursing graduate, and "starting the work on nurse-patient ratios that are enforceable". Nurses last went on strike in late July, with similar demands. Health NZ said it was happy to return to the bargaining table, and was committed to finding a solution. It said it had not yet received a formal notice of the strike from the union, only an informal notification. Health NZ chief executive Dale Bramley said it would have a "major impact" on thousands of New Zealander - many of whom had already waited a long time for appointments or surgeries. "We want to do our very best for our nurses and we think we've put a very fair offer on the table," Bramley said. He said they were already working to improve nurse-patient ratios. The number of hospital beds across the country had gone up by 100 to 200, while the number of full-time equivalent nurse had increased by more than 3000 in the past two years. Turnover among nursing staff had dropped from 13.3 percent to 8.1 percent, and the current vacancy rate was 3.6 percent. "At any one time in our pipeline of recruitment we have up to 2000 nurses in our pipeline," Bramley said. What's in the latest offer? A nurse on $75,773 would gain a total pay increase of $8337 (or 11 percent) by the end of June 2026 once step progression was included A registered nurse on the highest step with a base salary of $106,739 would see their pay increase by $3224 to $109,963 by the end of June 2026 The average salary for both senior and registered nurses, including overtime, PDRP allowance, and penal rates, would be $125,662.
