Decision To Veto Health Committee Makes No Sense

Media Release:

Decision to Veto Health Select Committee Recommendation Makes No Sense

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is appalled by the government’s decision to ignore a unanimous recommendation by the Health Select Committee.

In April Māori and iwi primary health employers and their NZNO member employees, made a unique joint submission to the Health Select Committee on a very real issue of funding disparity. Māori and iwi primary healthcare providers receive less funding than mainstream providers. “There is a fundamental issue of equity and fairness the same levels of funding are not being provided to all primary health care providers. It is not easier or cheaper to be a Māori provider delivering primary healthcare services to Māori communities than it is to be a mainstream provider. The challenges faced by Māori providers in employing and supporting their health workforces are not smaller or fewer than those facing mainstream providers. But the funding made available to Māori providers is less,” chief executive officer, Geoff Annals said.

“Our members felt their voices were being heard when the Health Select Committee supported a unanimous recommendation that the parties involved (health workers, employers, Ministry of Health, District Health Boards) came together to work out a solution and further the Committee stated there is an equity issue regarding pay rates for Māori and Iwi health service workers. These statements not only demonstrated a real understanding of the issue by the Health Select Committee but it also suggested a pragmatic way to find a fix,”

“It would seem Minister of Health, Tony Ryall, refused to support this recommendation. This makes no sense. The Minister says he wants to improve New Zealander’s access to health services and says he wants front line workers to be more closely engaged with managers in planning services – and we agree, so why in this case does he seem to prevent the opportunity for just that?“

“Māori as a population group have on average the poorest health status of any ethnic group in New Zealand. Clearly the Select Committee understood these issues and the importance of building and sustaining the Māori health workforce. Our members are devastated that their inequity has again been ignored and they remain concerned that services will be unable to be delivered, limiting health outcomes, as a result of the ever increasing vacancies,” NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku said

Wages for these Māori and Iwi health workers lag significantly behind those of their colleagues working in other primary healthcare organisations and are on average 20 percent behind their public hospital peers.

“We urge the government to reconsider their decision and support all the parties involved meeting to work out a decision,” Annals said.

ENDS

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