New Zealand Health Strategy Online

The New Zealand Health Strategy
Full text version

www.moh.govt.nz/publications/nzhs

Date of publication: December 2000

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

Foreword from the Minister of Health

These are the messages that people have been sending to the Government.

A health system that all New Zealanders can trust.
A health system that is there when people need it, regardless of ability to pay.
A health system that makes a real contribution to reducing inequalities between the health status of Māori and Pacific peoples, and other New Zealanders.

The New Zealand Health Strategy is our response. It emphasises a health system that is based on co-operation, a system that puts people at the heart of health care.

The New Zealand Health Strategy sits alongside the New Zealand Disability Strategy released in April 2001.

The New Zealand Health Strategy provides the framework within which District Health Boards and other organisations across the health sector will operate. It highlights the priorities the Government considers to be most important. Those priorities reflect diseases such as diabetes and cancer as well as factors that influence health such as smoking and nutrition.

This document has been developed with wide sector and public input. More than 1500 people attended public meetings to discuss the issues raised. More than 450 written submissions were received from members of the public, health professionals and organisations. The majority of submissions were positive in their support for the vision of the New Zealand Health Strategy.

I am confident that you will join with me in ensuring that we use the opportunities presented by this Strategy to move towards common goals of improved health, reduced inequalities and higher quality care.

Hon Annette King
Minister of Health

Contents

Foreword
Executive Summary

Chapter 1: Introduction
The development of the New Zealand Health Strategy
Making choices

Chapter 2: Why Change?
Inequalities in health
The health sector and determinants of health

Chapter 3: Fundamental Principles, Goals and Objectives
Principles
Population health goals and objectives
Goals and Objectives Framework

Chapter 4: Priorities
Priority population health objectives
Priority objectives to reduce disparities in health status
Service priorities

Chapter 5: Ensuring Quality Services
Quality health services
A quality system
Individual rights
Improved co-ordination

Chapter 6: Investing for the Future
Information management and technology
Workforce issues

Chapter 7: Implementing the New Zealand Health Strategy
Toolkits
Other strategies

Appendix 1: Development of the New Zealand Health Strategy

Appendix 2: Other Strategies

Appendix 3: Communities and Consultation

Glossary

References

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Executive Summary

The New Zealand Health Strategy sets the platform for the Government’s action on health. It identifies the Government’s priority areas and aims to ensure that health services are directed at those areas that will ensure the highest benefits for our population, focusing in particular on tackling inequalities in health.

This Strategy identifies seven fundamental principles that should be reflected across the health sector. Any new strategies or developments that are carried out should relate to those seven principles.

The principles are:

acknowledging the special relationship between Māori and the Crown under the Treaty of Waitangi
good health and wellbeing for all New Zealanders throughout their lives
an improvement in health status of those currently disadvantaged
collaborative health promotion and disease and injury prevention by all sectors
timely and equitable access for all New Zealanders to a comprehensive range of health and disability services, regardless of ability to pay
a high-performing system in which people have confidence
active involvement of consumers and communities at all levels.

The Strategy goes on to highlight key goals and objectives.

The goals and objectives were chosen according to a variety of criteria including, crucially, the degree to which they can improve the health status of the population and their potential for reducing health inequalities.

Out of a total of 10 goals and 61 objectives, the Government has highlighted 13 population health objectives for the Ministry of Health and District Health Boards to focus on for action in the short to medium term.

The 13 population health objectives are to:

reduce smoking
improve nutrition
reduce obesity
increase the level of physical activity
reduce the rate of suicides and suicide attempts
minimise harm caused by alcohol and illicit and other drug use to both individuals and the community
reduce the incidence and impact of cancer
reduce the incidence and impact of cardiovascular disease
reduce the incidence and impact of diabetes
improve oral health
reduce violence in interpersonal relationships, families, schools and communities
improve the health status of people with severe mental illness
ensure access to appropriate child health care services including well child and family health care and immunisation.

To reduce inequalities in health status the Strategy will work to:

ensure accessible and appropriate services for people from lower socioeconomic groups

ensure accessible and appropriate services for Maori

ensure accessible and appropriate services for Pacific peoples.

In addition to the above priority objectives, the New Zealand Health Strategy highlights five service delivery areas on which the Government wishes the health sector to concentrate in the short to medium term.

They are:

public health

primary health care

reducing waiting times for public hospital elective services

improving the responsiveness of mental health services

accessible and appropriate services for people living in rural areas.

The Strategy also focuses on key issues concerning quality that are needed to ensure that the performance of health services, and the health system as a whole, results in better health outcomes and a reduction in health disparities.

These include issues concerning:

sector-wide continuous quality improvement mechanisms and initiatives

individual rights

consultation

co-ordination

information management and technology

workforce development

evaluation of the New Zealand Health Strategy.

Finally, the New Zealand Health Strategy identifies how the Strategy will be implemented:

by developing toolkits to identify the action that different types of organisations or providers can take to address priority objectives

by developing more detailed action-oriented strategies for specific health issues, services or population groups

through performance and/or funding agreements with the Ministry of Health, District Health Boards and providers.

There will be an ongoing process to add new components to the New Zealand Health Strategy. This will enable further guidance on key issues to be provided to District Health Boards. It will also allow them more flexibility to respond to their local populations’ needs.

table of contents