The New Zealand Government is giving Kiwis a real voice in determining the health services provided in their community as part of the new health system. 

Health Minister Andrew Little announced the return to locality planning networks as some of the necessary changes to be made for the local communities of New Zealand.  

“Locality planning networks are an essential feature of the health reforms which, subject to the legislation passing in Parliament, will take effect on 1 July,” Minister Little said. 

“Locality networks will be how communities, including iwi, have a say on what health services are provided for them, and how they will be provided.” 

So far, nine areas have been announced in the initial rollout of the locality network pilots to improve the healthcare delivered to local communities: 

• Ōtara/Papatoetoe 
• Hauraki 
• Taupō/Tūrangi 
• Wairoa 
• Whanganui 
• Porirua 
• West Coast 
• Eastern Bay of Plenty 
• Horowhenua 

Locality networks have become the new regional basis for organising health services for communities. 

“The new locality approach will be a collective of networks that will provide advice to Health New Zealand (HNZ) and the Māori Health Authority (MHA) on the health services needs identified by their communities,” Minister Little said. 

“Iwi and the local community will determine their own geographic area that will become the ‘locality’, so the area it serves makes sense to the people that live and work there.” 

Under this plan, 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 area for each locality network will be determined by a range of criteria such as priority population groups, iwi boundaries and local government boundaries. 

“The areas will be small enough to still feel local and everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand will fit into a locality that reflects their community,” Minister Little said. 

“This targeted engagement will inform a locality plan that will influence local health care services.” 

Minister Little stated that the people will be able to determine how health services are delivered as locality networks are required to consult, engage and capture the input of the communities they represent rather than relying on a small number of elected reps under the DHBs.” 

The first nine locality networks will have additional support so HNZ and MHA can understand how to best refine and roll out the localities approach over the next two years. 

“People living in these nine areas will start to see changes over the next six months. Organisations responsible for providing care will start to work more closely together,” Minister Little said. 

Source: Beehive.govt.nz

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.

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