Up to 80 local networks will be set up under the impending health reforms, with the aim of ensuring local voices are heard.
Health Minister Andrew Little in Levin on Thursday morning announced the first nine locations as part of the reforms, which will see the country's 20 district health boards replaced with a single organisation, Health NZ.
Little said the so-called "localities" were being considered as "pilots" which would test ideas for the national rollout of the reforms, and new localities would be set up over the next two years.
He said between 60 and 80 localities would be expected to be up and running by July 2024.
They would be a collective of networks that would provide advice to both Health NZ and the Māori Health Authority.
The initial hubs would be located in:
- Ōtara/Papatoetoe
- Hauraki
- Taupō/Tūrangi
- Wairoa
- Whanganui
- Porirua
- West Coast
- Eastern Bay of Plenty
- Horowhenua
Little said they would give people a "more direct voice to determine how health services are delivered" and would be the new regional basis for organising health services.
"This is how they will work. A locality coordinator will draw together health providers, iwi, local authority representatives, and social sector agencies to work out what is available and what is needed at a local level. The purpose of the process is to engage with the relevant community and understand its needs."
They would be a mechanism for iwi and communities to have a voice in healthcare, he said.
"For example, one locality might have a need for more diabetes support - and it will be up to local partnerships to agree on whether dedicated services are needed.
"Once Health New Zealand and the Māori Health Authority have worked with communities to identify their localities, a locality commissioner will be assigned to work with community and providers - to meet and talk about their priorities for local care."
The offices would vary depending on population characteristics, he said, with urban localities serving a larger population compared to rural ones which might serve a larger geographical area.
"For rural communities, there has been a longstanding challenge to recruit health workers to them and to have services available as close as possible to people. Locality planning offers the opportunity for better coordination between services currently on offer."
The system would allow GPs, pharmacies, in-home nurses, and other care and support providers to better work together, he said.
Legislation is yet to pass through Parliament, but the reforms are expected to take effect from 1 July this year.
RNZ
