Statement of Intent 2007–2010

Part 2: The Government’s Priorities

Table of Contents:

From the Minister

Part 1: Introduction and Health Context

Part 2: The Government’s Priorities

Part 3: The Ministry’s Vision and Outcomes Framework

Part 4: What the Ministry Does

Part 5: Measuring the Ministry’s Progress

Part 6: The Ministry’s Strategy: ‘Better Health for All’

Part 7: Financial Information

References

Order or download this publication

In this section:

Introduction
The health and disability strategies
The Minister’s priorities for 2007 and beyond

In March 2006 the Government agreed on the following three themes for the next decade.

Economic transformation: working to progress our economic transformation to a high-income,knowledge-based market economy, which is both innovative and creative and provides a unique quality of life to all New Zealanders.
Families – young and old: all families, young and old, have the support and choices they need to be secure and able to reach their full potential within our knowledge-based economy.
National identity: all New Zealanders are able to take pride in who and what we are, through our arts, culture, film, sports and music, our appreciation of our natural environment, our understanding of our history, and our stance on international issues.

The main contribution of the health sector to the Government’s transformative agenda is through the ‘Families – young and old’ theme. The Ministry of Health is the lead agency for the sub-theme of ‘Better health for all’ and for the current priority issue ‘Reducing obesity’. ‘Better health for all’requires us to strengthen our emphasis on reducing the inequalities highlighted in the Health Context and to contribute to social sustainability. The health sector will also benefit from economic transformation and strengthened national identity.

The health and disability strategies
The New Zealand Health Strategy and New Zealand Disability Strategy provide the platform for the goals of ‘Healthy New Zealanders’ and ‘Better health for all’ and signal the directions in which the Government wishes to proceed.

New Zealand Disability Strategy

The New Zealand Disability Strategy (Minister for Disability Issues 2001) was launched in April 2001. It is an intersectoral strategy that applies across the whole public sector. The Ministry of Social Development’s Office for Disability Issues oversees the strategy’s implementation. The New Zealand Disability Strategy identifies 15 objectives, which are underpinned by detailed actions to advance New Zealand towards being a fully inclusive society.The Ministry, along with all other government departments, produces an annual plan which describes the work undertaken to implement the strategy. A copy of the strategy, and of the Ministry's annual plan, can be downloaded from www.odi.govt.nz/publications.

New Zealand Health Strategy (long-term strategy)

The New Zealand Health Strategy was launched in December 2000. It emphasises improving population health outcomes and reducing inequalities in health between all New Zealanders,including Māori and Pacific peoples (Minister of Health 2000).

The strategy lays out the big picture for improving the health of New Zealanders, with 10 goals for the health system and 61 objectives. Priorities cover population health objectives, objectives tor educe inequalities, and service priority areas.

He Korowai Oranga

An overarching aim of the health and disability sector is to improve Māori health outcomes and reduce Māori health inequalities. Leadership and leading by example in the sector are essential for ensuring this aim is met. He Korowai Oranga (Minister of Health and Associate Minister of Health 2002) and Whakatātaka Tuarua: Māori Health Action Plan 2006–2011 (Minister of Health and Associate Minister of Health 2006) provide a framework for the Ministry, DHBs and key stakeholders to take a leadership role in improving Māori health outcomes.

Implementing the overarching strategies

Although the above strategies provide the overarching framework for action in the health and disability sector, they do not identify how specific priority objectives or services will be addressed.The following strategies and plans are examples of more detailed guidance for the health and disability sector, especially DHBs, on how to achieve the goals:

Healthy Eating – Healthy Action Oranga Kai – Oranga Pumau: A strategic framework (Minister of Health 2003a), implemented through the implementation plan for 2004–2010 (Ministry of Health 2004b), describes how the health sector intends to reduce obesity.
Whakatā taka Tuarua: Māori Health Action Plan 2006–2011 (Minister of Health and Associate Minister of Health 2006). The action plan has the Ministry and DHBs taking lead roles for implementing actions because these are the agencies with primary responsibility and stewardship for ensuring specific actions occur.

The Ministry will take overall responsibility to lead, monitor, review and ensure progress is made on the action plan, and to foster collaboration and co-ordination across the sector. DHBs will provide leadership, through their roles as planners, funders and providers, and through engaging with their local communities to participate in the implementation of this action plan.

Clearly, the action plan will only be achieved through effective ongoing engagement and participation by whānau, hapu, iwi and Māori communities, providers, and the wider health sector. Whakatā taka Tuarua recognises that improvements in Māori health outcomes and independence in disability are a sector-wide responsibility. The action plan has a number of activities for the Ministry, DHBs and the sector to focus on in 2007/08 and through to 2011.
Primary Health Care Strategy (Minister of Health 2001)
Te Tāhuhu – Improving Mental Health 2005–2015: The Second New Zealand Mental Health and Addiction Plan(Minister of Health 2005).

There are around 30 health sector strategies and plans and around 10 intersectoral plans led by other departments that provide detailed guidance to the health and disability sector on specific health issues, diseases, disabilities and services.

The move towards focusing on priorities as a way to move the New Zealand Health Strategy forward was identified in 2004 by Hon Annette King, former Minister of Health.

Priorities were areas to focus the sector to continue the good progress that had been achieved, and to guide health sector planning activities such as DHB district annual plans and the Ministry’s own Statement of Intent. Since 2004, Ministers of Health have continued this approach of providing the sector with priorities to guide health sector planning.

The Minister’s priorities for 2007 and beyond

The Minister has identified the following areas to focus on for 2007–2010. The Ministry will also continue to maintain core business activities, as described in the Statement of Forecast Service Performance.

Chronic disease – the Healthy Eating – Healthy Action Strategy (Minister of Health 2003a) and the New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy (Minister of Health 2003c) are now gaining momentum and, along with the Tobacco Control Strategy (Ministry of Health 2004a), are the underpinning documents for the prevention of much chronic disease. All need to be implemented further and faster this year, as do programmes that help with the early diagnosis and management of conditions such as diabetes and depression.
Child and youth services – the well child review will inform many future refinements to child and youth services, but in particular we must make progress on oral health services, child and youth mental health services, and adolescent sexual health services. We must conclude the development of, and implement, the ‘Ready for school’ health and wellness check, free primary health care for under-sixes, newborn hearing screening and early intervention.
Elective services – supporting DHBs to maintain and improve their management of patient flow processes for elective services and to ensure their compliance with targets and indicators remains a priority.
Primary health – the low fees (and very low fees) roll-out will be concluded by the beginning of the year. The focus will now shift to the maturation of primary health organisations, the development of new models of service, the involvement of a broader range of professionals,and an improved primary/secondary interface, all viewed through a population health lens.
The health of older people – this remains a priority, and another year’s change in services is both needed and inevitable as we implement a new assessment tool and new models of supportive care for those choosing to live longer at home, and as we place renewed attention on training those in the sector.
Infrastructure – we are now investing much faster in improvements to the health information system, and this requires co-operation and co-ordination across the sector. Various reports on workforce issues are now available and a raft of decisions will need to be taken and implemented.
Value for money – although the New Zealand health system is one of the Western world’s most cost-effective health systems, and although good gains continue to be made, there are many opportunities to make further improvements. These are often associated with a direct improvement in the quality of health care.

< Part 1: Introduction and Health Context | Part 3: The Ministry’s Vision and Outcomes Framework >