Waitangi Tribunal health inquiry

Media Statement

Friday 2 June 2017

Waitangi Tribunal sets out on health services and outcomes inquiry

About 140 claimant groups have sought to participate in the Waitangi Tribunal’s Kaupapa Inquiry into health services and health outcomes.

The Wai 2575 Health Services and Outcomes Kaupapa Inquiry is in its planning phase and will examine breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi in health services and health outcomes for Māori.

An initial judicial conference, attended by more than 25 counsel, was convened at Pipitea Marae in May to discuss issues such as scope, eligibility, and how claims might be heard.

The parties and the Crown have been directed to hold roundtable discussions over the next three months to further refine the scope, priorities and process for the inquiry and file bibliographies of available research. The Crown have also been directed to file any Māori health documentation held by the Ministry for Health (see Wai 2575 #2.5.8).

A process of determining eligibility will need to take place. The Tribunal has stated that following grievances will not be considered:

•Historical health-related grievances already settled with the Crown

• Health-related grievances that have previously been fully heard and reported on by the Tribunal

• Claims whose remaining health-related grievances have been consolidated into other district or kaupapa inquiries that are currently underway

For claims affected by historical Treaty settlements, contemporary grievances continuing or arising on or after 21 September 1992 remain eligible for inquiry.

The Tribunal’s kaupapa (thematic) inquiry programme is designed to provide a pathway for hearing nationally significant claim issues that affect Māori as a whole or a section of Māori in similar ways.

For more information on the Wai 2575 Health Services and Outcomes Kaupapa Inquiry, visit the Waitangi Tribunal website (www.waitangitribunal.govt.nz).

Claimants seeking additional information can contact the Tribunal Registrar (WT.Registrar@justice.govt.nz) or Free phone: 0508 621840

Information on the claims process (how to make or amend a claim and participate effectively in the Tribunal process) and preparing claimant evidence can be found here: www.waitangitribunal.govt.nz/publications-and-resources/other-publications/

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