Whakatāne Hospital will soon be able to recruit and deploy staff without central sign-off.

Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced that from July 1, decision-making within Health New Zealand will shift closer to patients, communities, and hospitals.

“Health New Zealand’s regions and districts will be responsible for delivering the health targets in their areas, with delegated budgets, the ability to deploy staff where they are needed, and the flexibility to respond faster when demand rises – helping reduce wait times and improve access to care for New Zealanders,” he said.

Health New Zealand will retain responsibility for strategy, standards, and system-wide planning.

East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick said this was exactly what had been spoken about in the Eastern Bay – having the ability to make decisions for the community.

“Since the former government centralised health, it has been hard to get local solutions across the line. Now, our local managers will have delegated authority to get health services relevant and ap-propriate for our people.

“We will keep being a loud voice in the Eastern Bay to ensure Health New Zealand knows where the pressure points are.

“This, coupled with the $25 million investment into winter preparedness and the reinstatement of secondary maternity services are all steps to help the community.”

Mr Brown said the message from frontline doctors and nurses had been clear: healthcare worked best when decisions were made by those who understood their communities and worked directly with patients.

“The previous Government’s decision to restructure the health system in the middle of a pandemic shifted decision-making away from the frontline – away from the doctors and nurses delivering care, and away from the patients they serve. Wait times ballooned and service delivery declined.

“The result was a system that became too centralised, with too many decisions made by head office that should have been made much closer to the bedside. These changes, which ensure a

nationally planned, locally and regionally delivered health system, will come into effect on July 1.

“Regions and districts will have clearer authority over workforce, resources, and service delivery, while national leadership focuses on strategy, standards, and system planning.

“This is the most significant structural change our government is making to improve how the health system operates.

“It is not a return to the district health board model, but it will reduce bureaucracy and give hospitals greater authority to make decisions that ensure delivery of the health targets within their budgets, in a way that reflects the needs of their communities.

Mr Brown said the changes were designed to ensure healthcare services delivered in communities directly improved the lives of patients.

“Putting patients at the centre of the system means decisions about services and resources are made as close as possible to those receiving care. These changes will deliver a health system that is more responsive, efficient, and focused on getting patients the care they need.”