The New Zealand Health Strategy

Full text version

Date of publication: December 2000This is the full text online version of this document. You can also download this publication in PDF format.

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Chapter 6:
Investing for the Future

To achieve the aims of this Strategy, the Government recognises that certain areas need continued development and work. Two specific areas are looked at in this section. They are continued development of information management and technology, and workforce issues.

Information management and technology

The ability to exchange high-quality information between partners in health care processes will be vital for a health system focused on achieving better health outcomes.

Better access to timely and relevant clinical information can improve clinical decision-making and, therefore, health outcomes for individual patients. Privacy and confidentiality of personal information must be maintained at all times in compliance with the Privacy Act 1993 and the Health Information Privacy Code 1994.

Communities with access to better (non-personal) information about their health or health care services can play a greater role in maintaining their own health and accessing appropriate health services, and in contributing to decision-making regarding local health services. For example, ethnicity-related information will ensure Maori communities and the Government are better informed.

This means a nationally coherent and consistent approach to a health information infrastructure, based on improving access to information and the consolidation of appropriate standards. At this point it is particularly important to ensure District Health Boards develop consistent and compatible information systems.

A New Zealand Health Knowledge Strategy is being developed to support implementation of the New Zealand Health Strategy. (See Appendix 2 for further details.)

Workforce issues

Health services in the future may require a different mix of workforce skills to those of the present. Issues include:

• mental health services have already undergone a change from institutional care to community-based care for many people, but more skilled personnel are required in community-based and primary health care settings

• Maori development and action on reducing health inequalities will require the continuation of initiatives to develop a Maori health workforce

• changing health needs as the population ages may create a need for more community nursing support, and training and support for carers and volunteers

• advances in technology may require different specialist skills, such as tele-medicine, and the provision of more community-based clinics run by a range of appropriately qualified health providers

• increased action to reduce inequalities in health for Maori and Pacific peoples will require increased numbers of trained Maori and Pacific health workers and Maori and Pacific workforce development.

There will be an increased need for support and supervision of professionals in training, preregistration and post-registration, as well as ongoing continuing education, especially in rural areas.

To meet these changing needs, it is necessary to develop central leadership.

The Government is establishing a Health Workforce Advisory Committee (HWAC) on workforce needs in the sector and to advise how to meet these needs.

It is proposed that the HWAC liaise with providers, professional bodies, non-governmental organisations, community groups, the education sector and other organisations (such as the Mental Health Workforce Society and the Community Support Services Industry Training Organisation) in order to monitor changing needs and match workforce needs with the provision of appropriate training and education.