Latest news with #HealthyFutures
1News
5 days ago
- Health
- 1News
Iwi Māori partnership boards unite to oppose changes to health legislation
Iwi Māori partnership boards (IMPBs) from across the country are making a unified stand against proposed policy changes they say will reduce their statutory role in the health system. The fifteen boards are meeting in New Plymouth for the first time since the first reading of the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill. They say their monitoring powers are critical to ensuring health services are accountable to Māori communities and responsive to local needs. The hui aims to 'build a unified national voice' in response to the proposed changes, according to host IMPB Te Punanga Ora. They refer to Article 2 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi that guarantees tino rangatiratanga. 'These changes take us from active partners to passive recipients - a shift that undermines the partnership foundations built over decades,' said Hiria Te Paki, pou whakahaere. 'Telling us after the fact is not consistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi.' ADVERTISEMENT IMPBs were established under the Act in 2022 to ensure the health needs and priorities of Māori communities are met. 'This move silences our voices and severs a critical connection between Māori communities and the health system,' said Te Paki. 'Māori are still dying, on average, seven years younger than non-Māori. Diluting our leadership and input will only deepen these inequities.' Chair of the Tūwharetoa Iwi Māori Partnership Board and former Labour MP Louisa Wall said initially IMPBs were created as a solution to assist the government to address inequities within the health system. 'So the latest iteration of changes is to diminish our role, but we are servants of our people. All of us have mandate from hapū and iwi to represent our whānau voices so we will continue to do that in spite of this government.' Louisa Wall (Source: Te Karere) The IMPBs represent more than 900,000 Māori. Wall said the biggest problem Māori face with the health system is primary intervention – engaging earlier and 'not at the hospital'. ADVERTISEMENT '[The health system is] inefficient because our people are engaging far too late and the reason iwi Māori partnership boards were formed in the first place was to make access – and early access – possible, and that's what we've all been focused on.' She said in undermining the role of IMPBs, the government has undermined the whole health system. 'They're almost cutting off their nose to spite their face, and that's the ridiculous part of what they're doing, and the most disappointing, is that we're just starting to get traction and make a real difference and ensure that patients are at the centre of our health system.' She said they had 'stunning' relationships with previous Health Ministers Dr Shane Reti and Peeni Henare but have yet to meet with Minister Simeon Brown. 'It's appalling behaviour for partners in a system that put patients first, and so this government's really clear that they want to do that but through their actions they've actually contradicted the whole ethos of the changes that they're proposing.' Health Minister Brown said his priority is ensuring all New Zealanders have access to timely, quality healthcare and the government is committed to delivering services based on need. He said he recognised that different approaches are required to effectively reach and support communities. ADVERTISEMENT 'As part of this, we are enhancing the role of the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee (HMAC), which will provide independent advice to both me and the board of Health New Zealand. 'Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards (IMPBs) will play a key role in this approach by engaging with their communities and sharing local insights with HMAC. This advice will inform decision-making made by myself and the Health New Zealand board.' He said the changes have been welcomed by the Āti Awa Toa Hauora Partnership Board as well as HMAC who has expressed its support. The Minister announced in June the proposed changes to the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 and the amendment bill passed its first reading in July. Public submissions on the bill close on August 18.
Scoop
23-07-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Have Your Say On The Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill
Have your say on the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill The Health Committee is calling for submissions on the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill. The closing date for written submissions is 1.00pm on Monday, 18 August 2025. The bill seeks to improve the effectiveness of health services delivery to patients by: Amending the purpose, objectives, and functions of Health New Zealand. The bill would amend the objectives of Health New Zealand (Health NZ) to add the delivery of effective and timely services. It also seeks to add a new purpose to the Act, ensuring that patients get timely access to quality health services. The bill would repeal the health sector principles and the New Zealand Health Charter. Increasing Health New Zealand's focus on infrastructure. Health NZ's functions would be expanded to provide and plan for quality, cost-effective and financially sustainable infrastructure, and the bill would require the board of Health NZ to have a permanent infrastructure committee. Changing the roles and responsibilities of iwi-Māori in relation to delivery of health services. The bill would give the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee (HMAC) a statutory purpose of providing advice to Health NZ and the Minister of Health, on health services for Māori. It would amend the role of iwi-Māori partnership boards (IMPBs) to engage with Māori communities about health needs in their area, and to provide advice to HMAC. The bill would require Health NZ to take into account any advice from HMAC, and would remove the requirement for Health NZ to engage with IMPBs when determining priorities for kaupapa Māori investment. Strengthening governance, strategic direction setting, planning, and monitoring arrangements. The bill proposes a series of amendments, including a new requirement for the board of Health NZ to have a delegations policy, and changes to the requirements for board members' knowledge and experience. Additionally, the New Zealand Health Plan would need to include information about how services and activities will be funded, and would no longer need to be reviewed by the Auditor-General. Tell the Health Committee what you think Make a submission on the bill by 1.00pm on Monday, 18 August 2025. For more details about the bill:
RNZ News
23-04-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Three-day hospital stay bill will result in unintended consequences, NZ College of Midwives says
NZCOM chief executive Alison Eddy said the increased stay would create more pressure on the services and staff. Photo: The New Zealand College of Midwives (NZCOM) says if the new three-day-stay bill is brought into New Zealand's current healthcare system, it will result in unintended consequences. The Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) (3 Day Postnatal Stay) Amendment Bill proposes the 48 hours of funded inpatient post-natal care currently available, be upped to 72 hours. NZCOM chief executive Alison Eddy said in the organisation's oral submission - heard by parliaments health committee - it did not support the bill. "Midwifery strongly advocates for all women and their whānau to have access to the health services they need in the post-natal period. And we consider that no woman should be discharged from hospital after giving birth, before she is ready to do so," she said. "In spite of this, we do not support the proposed bill for three reasons." Eddy said the organisations first reason for opposing the bill was that the system did not have capacity . "We have a significant shortage of midwives, and the place that this shortage manifests the greatest in our hospital system is in the post-natal area. "Our post-natal areas are busy and under-staffed, our system is overloaded, our hospital bed capacity is insufficient to universally accommodate a three day stay for every women - whether she needs it or not." Eddy said bed grid-lock was a common issue in the post-natal area, and if the bill passed, that issue would get worse. "There are no beds in the post-natal area for women to move to after they have given birth, and no space will become available until someone is discharged. "This creates bed-block in the labour ward, which then leads to delays in necessary care." She said the increased stay would create more pressure on the services and staff . New Zealand College of Midwives chief executive Alison Eddy. Photo: Stuff / John Kirk-Anderson Eddy said her second point - on behalf of NZCOM - was return on investment. "There is a misconception that extra time in hospital will automatically result in positive outcomes," she said, clarifying it was often not the case. "The post-natal period extends to six weeks after birth and consists of many, many aspects of health and social care, and cultural and emotional support." She said "patient stays are costly" and "investment in the post-natal period could be better placed elsewhere". The third point Eddy made on behalf of NZCOM was the possible unintended consequences. "Introducing legislation which provides everyone with the entitlement of a three day post-natal stay - whether it is clinically needed or not - into a system which has inadequate capacity, will result in unintended consequences." She said the solution was not to legislate a three night stay for every women, but rather ensure those who needed a longer stay were able to access the care needed. Labour MP Ayesha Verrall. Photo: VNP/Louis Collins When asked by Labour MP Ayesha Verrall whether the bill would help women, hurt women or make no difference, Eddy said it depended on the individual circumstance. "There is potential for all of those scenarios, but I would think the potential risks of hurt would outweigh the potential benefits…" Catherine Wedd - the National MP who brought the bill to parliament - said she was disappointed the NZCOM did not support the bill. "I could not see how it could hurt women, but I'm interested to see how you see it could hurt women," she said. National MP Catherine Wedd. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver Eddy responded, further explaining how women could be hurt by the bill using the "real" example of bed block. "Inductions of labour, for example, they require a bed, they require midwifery staffing, and they require resource. "If there are no beds in the labour ward, because a woman is waiting to be transferred up to the post-natal ward… her induction of labour will be delayed. "That could cause unintended consequence and potential harm," she said. Both Wedd and NZCOM have been approached for further comment. The bill is due to be reported back in parliament on 17 June. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
