New Zealand primary health care policy and the role of a non-government organisation

Abstract

I was asked to make the presentation this paper is based on1 following the collaboration between La Trobe University and Health Care Aotearoa over several years. La Trobe is the home of the Quality Improvement Council, of which Health Care Aotearoa is a member. That Council has been one of the international partners who have given validation and inspiration for us in Aotearoa/New Zealand in the field of community-based primary health care. My own background, as a Methodist minister for 20 years, followed a life-transforming year as an 18-year-old volunteer in Sarawak in 1969, and exposure internationally to struggles for social justice. In recent years I have become more directly involved in political engagement, at both the local body and national level, as an expression of my understanding of community development and health. I am Chairman of one of New Zealand?s 21 District Health Boards and am relishing the opportunity to lead a regional health organisation as it builds intersectoral linkages, embraces excellence in the delivery of health services, and addresses issues of disparities in health outcomes. I continue to be involved in national leadership of a number of non-government organisations (NGOs), and am taking a leading role in building a new national entity that can encompass the whole non-government organisation sector in New Zealand. All this work arises directly from the experiences and insights described in this paper.