44345 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

44345 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: What actions, if any, have been taken in the quarter (January to March 2024) to implement the recommendation ‘Where high priority cases are waiting excessively long, regions should have support services established, especially to assist Māori and Pacific patients access imaging’ 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's regions developed individual plans to support patients waiting for excessively long period. These plans include reducing barriers to care such as radiology services. Regions also considered inter-district transfers and/or insourcing of clinicians. I am further advised there are good examples of new approaches where cultural support and navigation services have been established. Learnings from this initiative will be shared across other hospitals with the increased focus on timely access to planned care including patients accessing radiology services. In addition, in March 2024, I announced an $18 million boost to the National Travel Assistance programme to support New Zealanders needing to travel to access specialist health treatment, including specialist diagnostics.