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The Government will introduce legislation to ensure the health system is “more accountable, more efficient, and focused on delivering better outcomes for patients”.
“After years of bureaucracy and confusion, the health system lost its focus,” Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
“The previous Government scrapped health targets, centralised decision-making with no accountability, while every single health target went backwards, meaning patients waiting longer for the care they need.
“This Government is focused on delivery – getting the basics right, fixing what the previous Government broke, and ensuring New Zealanders have access to timely, quality healthcare.”
Cabinet has approved a suite of amendments to the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022, designed to strengthen the performance of Health New Zealand and ensure a clearer, more accountable system.
The changes are about improving health outcomes by making sure the system is focused on delivery, not bogged down in doing the same thing twice, Brown says.
“That means better care for patients through a more connected, transparent, and effective health system
“The previous Government’s reforms created a bloated system where no one was truly accountable for delivery. We’re changing that.
“We’re putting health targets into law so every part of the system is focused on delivering faster care, shorter wait times, higher immunisation rates, and real results.”
The current legislation is too focused on bureaucracy rather than patients, with multiple charters and plans creating confusion and fragmentation, Brown says.
The reforms repeal the health sector principles and health charter – cutting needless bureaucracy – while requiring each population strategy to give effect to the Government’s health targets.
Brown says infrastructure delivery was one of the most serious failings under the previous Government.
“Too many builds were delayed, blown out, or never even started.
“We’re addressing this by establishing a dedicated infrastructure committee and embedding infrastructure as a core function of Health New Zealand.
“This means the board can focus on lifting system performance where it matters most: for patients.”
Changes will also be made to strengthen the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee (HMAC) and clarify the role of iwi-Māori Partnership Boards (IMPBs).
“Local IMPBs will continue to engage with their communities but will now provide advice directly to HMAC,” Brown says.
“That advice will then support decisions made by the Minister and the Health NZ board.
“These changes are about one thing – putting patients back at the centre.
“We’re rebuilding a health system that delivers real outcomes, not just organisational charts.”
The Amendment Bill will be introduced to Parliament in the coming weeks.
