Briefing Papers for the Incoming Minister of HealthDate of publication: January 2000
Five papers were prepared by the Ministry of Health for the Incoming Minister. They are all available from this page:
Healthy Opportunities
In this briefing the Ministry sets out advice on where the Minister of Health, can make a difference. People needing services, both as individuals and as populations, are at the heart of the portfolio. Services are delivered through a complex system of public and private health and disability service providers, funders and other organisations.
The challenge is to achieve, now and into the future:
- very good health and independence for all New Zealanders, and lower disparities in health and disability outcomes
- access for all New Zealanders to an acceptable range of health care and disability support services, regardless of ability to pay
- a high-performing system in which people have confidence.
The Ministry of Health’s aim is for ‘Healthy New Zealanders’.
Document availability
This publication is not available in hard copy. It is only available on this website in PDF format below.
Healthy Opportunities
 (PDF, 133 kB)
This publication has been converted to Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF). Here is a link to information on downloading and viewing PDFs.
Facts about Health and Disability in New Zealand
The business of the health and disability sector is to improve and protect health. This means not only preventing and treating illness, but also improving people’s quality of life, including independence for people with disabilities. Medical, surgical and other health and disability support services play an essential role in improving health, but while essential, they are not sufficient. Many other factors - from the safety of roads, workplaces, homes and schools, to people’s ability to fulfil their basic needs, to exercising and participating in communities - help to build health.The Government pays for around three-quarters of the services provided, and actively oversees the safety and effectiveness of all services, including privately funded ones.
This volume provides information on:
- the responsibilities of the Minister of Health
- how successful the health and disability sector has been in terms of health outcomes for New Zealanders, including how we compare with similar countries
- the key agencies in the health and disability sector
- the health and disability support services available to people in New Zealand
- national strategies and initiatives
- trends in public and private expenditure on health and disability support services
- the legislative framework.
Document availability
This publication is not available in hard copy. It is only available on this website in PDF format below.
Facts about Health and Disability in New Zealand
 (PDF, 155 kB)
This publication has been converted to Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF). Here is a link to information on downloading and viewing PDFs.
The Disability Sector
The disability sector is complex and diverse. The term ‘disability sector’ is used to describe:
- people who identify as having a disability which may be congenital in origin
- the result of an accident, a progressive medical condition or age related – some of whom will be consumers of disability support services
- families /whanau of people with disabilities
- support organisations, service agencies, advocates and experts.
Document availability
This publication is not available in hard copy. It is only available on this website in PDF format below.
The Disability Sector
 (PDF, 75 kB)
This publication has been converted to Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF). Here is a link to information on downloading and viewing PDFs.
Facts about Disability Services in New Zealand
The disability sector is broad and spans a wide range of voluntary and publicly funded agencies. It consists of a loose conglomeration of:
- people with a wide range of disabilities which may be congenital in origin, the result of an accident, a progressive medical condition or age related
- families/whanau of people with disabilities
- support organisations, service agencies, advocates and experts.
In a survey conducted over 1996/97 twenty percent of the population self reported as having a disability resulting in some functional and/or role limitation.
This document focuses only on one aspect of this sector, that related to the funding and provision of disability support services (DSS) via Vote Health.
Document availability
This publication is not available in hard copy. It is only available on this website in PDF format below.
Facts about Disability Services in New Zealand
 (PDF, 89 kB)
This publication has been converted to Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF). Here is a link to information on downloading and viewing PDFs.
Ministry of Health Corporate Profile
The Ministry of Health is the Government’s principal advisor on health and disability in New Zealand. In performing its role, the Ministry carries out activities which include:
- providing policy advice about outcomes and strategies for advancing the health status of New Zealanders, and reducing disparities in health status for Maori and other groups
- developing and maintaining a framework of regulatory health interventions
- establishing and promoting links with other sectors which influence health status and independence
- monitoring performance of the Health Funding Authority and other agencies against the objectives agreed with the Government
- providing informed, independent advice to Ministers about sector performance
- establishing links with health agencies in other countries, for awareness of development of relevance to New Zealand and for benchmarking the performance of New Zealand’s health and disability sector
- providing advice on the protection and improvement of New Zealand’s biosecurity, and the health impact of measures to control biosecurity.
Document availability
This publication is not available in hard copy. It is only available on this website in PDF format below.
Ministry of Health Corporate Profile
 (PDF, 44 kB)
This publication has been converted to Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF). Here is a link to information on downloading and viewing PDFs. |