Localising health already under way, Ashburton mayor says

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:

Health Minister Shane Reti says the Government will shift more health decision-making back to the regions, but Ashburton’s mayor believes it is already under way.

District health boards were scrapped 18 months ago to form Te Whatu Ora/Health NZ in a bid to end geographical differences in healthcare.

Reti said the reforms went too far in removing local decision making.
"There are some parts that need to be owned by the centre [Te Whatu Ora], absolutely, but we need to be very careful because what has happened here is we've lost local accountability.

“We've lost local decision making and it's all owned by the centre."

Ashburton mayor Neil Brown said he believed a move to localise health was already happening under the current model.

The council doesn’t do health, its role is advocacy, but they have been involved in setting up a locality for health, Brown said.

Localities are part of the shift to the Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand system, aimed at delivering place-based planning for health and wellbeing services.

“We have been working with other councils to set up a locality for Mid-South Canterbury,” Brown said.

Ashburton is working with the Timaru, Waimate and Mackenzie councils, and local rūnanga to form a locality.

“To do localities you had to have council on board. We have the four mayors on board and our iwi Arowhenua ... all heading in the same direction, all wanting the best services for everyone.”

Whether the locality model would be retained under the new Government was yet to be seen.

However, Brown said the work had progressed to a point where it would work with Reti's suggestion.

“If it’s not called a locality we can still progress with it as a region.
“I think they will work quite well and have local people making local decisions for health from the Rakaia River to the Waitaki River.”

Reti stopped short of saying he would reintroduce district health boards and Brown questioned if the DHB model was that localised.

The Canterbury District Health Board was Christchurch-centric and rarely had elected members from Mid Canterbury, he said.

The council’s advocacy work is also looking at extending Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua’s Whānau Services into Mid Canterbury, which would happen under the locality system, Brown said.