Health Services and Systems
Latest | Media coverage | Commentary | Academic Literature | Legislation | Reports and Government Documents
Covering developments in the provision, funding and organisation of health care services, including the recent restructuring of Aotearoa’s health system.
Latest
Media coverage
ACC: Independent review announced, levies increasing
The Government has ordered a review of ACC and has confirmed the earners and business levy and those paid by motor vehicle owners are increasing. Read more
ACC review of primary acute care highlights cost and access issues
Many urgent-care providers are under increased pressure nationwide due to a lack of funding identified by Te Whatu Ora in a report to the health minister. Read...
Health New Zealand cuts: 569 staff take voluntary redundancy
Health New Zealand has confirmed almost 600 staff have taken voluntary redundancy in job cut proposals laid out to staff today. Read more
Commentary
Health’s ‘back office’ needs attention
The Government has made much of the need to keep frontline services fully functioning, even when costs might be trimmed in the so-called “back office”. Read...
Ethnicity is a useful shortcut for identifying need – without it, targeting public services will get harder
The government’s recent directive that public services should be prioritised “on the basis of need, not race” will make it harder and more time consuming to reach New Zealanders with higher needs. Read...
Health funding rollercoaster: Can we ring-fence the moolah?
Over the course of this extraordinary year in New Zealand health policy, I’ve sensed an increasing appetite to question one of the fundamental design principles of our health system – how it is funded Read...
Academic Literature
Financial barriers to primary health care in Aotearoa New Zealand
Inequities in health between Māori, the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand, and non-Māori have been evident throughout the colonial history of the country. Read more
New Zealand Pae Ora Healthcare Reforms 2022: Viable by Design? A Qualitative Study Using the Viable System Model
The New Zealand (NZ) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) health reforms came into effect in July 2022 with the establishment of Health New Zealand (HNZ) (Te Whatu Ora) and the Māori Health Authority (MHA) (Te Aka Whai Ora) – the organisations charged for healthcare provision...
Key elements and contextual factors that influence successful implementation of large-system transformation initiatives in the New Zealand health system: a realist evaluation
Despite three decades of policy initiatives to improve integration of health care, delivery of health care in New Zealand remains fragmented, and health inequities persist for Māori and other high priority populations. Read...
Legislation and Parliament
2024/25 Estimates for Vote Health
2024/25 Estimates for Vote Health. Read more
Pae Ora (Disestablishment of Māori Health Authority) Amendment Bill
New Zealand government 2024. This Bill disestablishes the Māori Health Authority, giving effect to the coalition Government’s policy commitment in its 100-day plan. Read...
Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022
The purpose of this Act is to provide for the public funding and provision of services in order to—
(a) protect, promote, and improve the health of all New Zealanders; and
(b) achieve equity in health outcomes among New Zealand’s population groups, including by striving to eliminate health disparities, in particular for Māori; and
(c) build towards pae ora (healthy futures) for all New Zealanders.
Reports and Government Documents
Annual Report : Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora
Health NZ leads the day-to-day running of publicly funded health care, with our trusted and skilled workforce providing high-quality health services to New Zealanders. Read...
Health targets: Quarterly results released
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora has today published its first quarterly results for the five health targets, covering the period 1 July – 30 September 2024. Read...
Health Workforce Plan 2024
Health New Zealand’s Health Workforce Plan 2024 outlines how we plan to get our workforce more sustainable over the next year – as year one of a three-year workforce planning cycle. Read...
Key issues
HEALTH SERVICES AND SYSTEMS
EQUITY
DRUGS, DEVICE AND DIAGNOSTICS
PUBLIC HEALTH
DIGITAL HEALTH
TE TIRITI