The New Zealand Medical Association welcomes the Waitangi Tribunal’s Report on stage one of the Health Services and Outcomes Kaupapa Inquiry.
Dr Kate Baddock, Chair of the NZMA says: “we recognise that that there are health disparities and that there is a great deal of work to be done to achieve equitable access and outcomes for Māori. Investment in terms of funding and workforce is needed for this to happen.”
To achieve that necessary equity NZMA supports the two broad recommendations made in the report – namely amendments to the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act to include a Treaty of Waitangi clause and enshrining in that Act the Crown’s and sector’s commitment to achievement of equitable outcomes for Māori.
“Within the primary care sector there is general agreement that the sector is suffering from a chronic lack of investment which is currently running at around 6% of total health funding. At least 10% is needed to begin to rectify this and begin to achieve the health equity and the health outcomes we so desperately need. We are heartened (and saddened) that the Inquiry has also identified this and is recommending an urgent review of primary care funding” says Dr Baddock.
