43848 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

43848 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: What actions, if any, have been taken in the last quarter (January to March 2024) to implement the recommendation ‘Development of Pacific equity, community and family focussed models for care navigation should be investigated (community out into hospitals)’ as part of Te Whatu Ora Planned Care Taskforce Reset and Restore Plan?

Hon Dr Shane Reti: I am advised that during the January to March 2024 quarter, Health New Zealand took the following actions to develop Pacific equity, community, and family focussed models of care: • Establishment of Pathway Improvement Leads, whose role is to understand inequitable access to planned care waitlists for Pacific people at a regional level. Leads began mapping outpatient journeys from community into hospital, to identify gaps, barriers, and areas for improvement. • Work started in the Northern Region on a regional referral pathway and removal of the weight loss pre-requisite for bariatric surgery, including options for those that do not meet the bariatric surgery criteria or may opt out of the surgical intervention. • Establishment of Pacific Health Partnership and Network Leads, whose role is to work alongside Pacific providers to identify issues and barriers reported from the community in accessing planned care services. This information is being shared across Health NZ to inform service access improvement activities. • The rollout started of Comprehensive primary care teams (CPCTs), to provide a broader range of roles and services that will enable people to receive earlier intervention, faster treatment, and better support to change lifestyle factors. This has included over 50 new Pacific Kaiāwhina roles employed through a range of Pacific providers to improve connections and relationships with primary and community care teams.