Key messages to the Southern health system in this time of transition and change.
Times of change and transition can be stressful and challenging but they are also times of opportunity. They are times when new ideas can replace historic patterns. The health reforms offer a chance to think without the constraints of the status quo and instead focus on the best ideas about how we can change to improve patient and whānau outcomes.
Key messages
Key messages
- Re-orient to Māori leadership – the health system is being redesigned so that Iwi Māori have a more central leadership role in designing, delivering, and monitoring services for Māori. The Southern Health system should proactively reframe itself to support and enable Māori leadership across the system in this time of transition, and beyond.
- Stay focused on health outcomes – structural and leadership changes can be distracting. The Southern Health system must maintain focus on its core business of providing healthcare. When the patient and their whānau is at the centre of all decisions, we will be doing the right thing. Monitoring key health outcomes, especially by ethnicity, supports good decision making to ensure equity.
- Be proactive about the future – leaders at all levels and across the system should look at the signals from Health NZ and the Māori Health Authority and be proactive in their response. Don’t hit the pause button. Take leadership, make decisions in line with the signals and keep our health system moving forward.
- Focus on building connections– times of transition can be periods when structural change leads to a loss of connections and networks across the system, leading to disjoined action. Strong connections and networks are vital to a high performing health system. Use this transition time to proactively build networks that align to the needs of our future system.
- Extraordinary times – acknowledge these are extraordinary times with the Covid-19 pandemic creating challenges for our health response and impacting on workforce stress and supply. We need to move forwards, understanding that the future is uncertain and our health system needs to remain flexible, responsive, compassionate and professional.
A printable summary of the key themes and priority actions described in this strategic briefing can be accessed here.
A printable summary of the key themes and priority actions in te reo Māori can be accessed here.
A printable version of all of the content on this site can be accessed here.
A printable document with all the key data sources and graphs used in this strategic briefing can be accessed here.
'Start here' list
The start here list is made of the recommendations that are catalysts for further actions and where good progress can be made in 12 months:
- Enable and support shift from Iwi Māori ‘engagement’ to Iwi Māori ‘leadership’ across the system and support successful establishment of Iwi Māori Partnership Board.
- Get moving with advice on establishing localities - Consult and confirm preferred localities/ Set up population health leadership/ Establish locality networks/ Ensure communities and consumers are engaged/ Link to digital solutions.
- Establish clinical governance forum for whole system.
- Act to develop on pro-equity systems of care.
- Start integrating DHB and PHO data.
- Develop future vision for role of rural hospitals in the south and start defining the future path for Central Lakes.
- Increase use of telehealth in outpatient care.
- Develop integrated hospital/community service plan for frail elderly.
- Develop workforce plans to take account of COVID-19 and health reforms.
- Ensure Māori leadership and consumer voice is part of future design process.
- Refocus workforce plans around building a representative workforce and addressing immediate challenges with responding to Covid-19.
- Establish implementation project office and fund recommendations in this strategic brief, support implementation of existing agreed plans.
Our vision for the Southern System
In this health system:
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Achieving Our Vision
To achieve our vision, we have some work to do in creating a connected system that is more equitable, provides care closer to home, is accessible and cohesive.
The diagram below outlines areas we need to focus – and some actions that will be catalysts for change.
The diagram below outlines areas we need to focus – and some actions that will be catalysts for change.
Central to our connected system is Māori leadership, based on Te Tiriti partnerships. Underpinning our response is a need for implementation excellence.
There are five areas we need to make progress in this transition period to align with the health reforms and the desire for a system that is equitable, cohesive, people centered and accessible:
- Thriving localities – establishing localities and the connected population health and community care systems within and between them.
- Effective service integration – particularly around the leadership to establish pro-equity systems of care that apply across all parts of our community and specialist services.
- Networking specialist services – which is about creating an environment where specialist services are better networked across the district and with the community.
- Activated enablers – which identifies the role of enablers in a responsive and connected health ecosystem.
- Empowered workforce – which emphasises how a capable and responsive workforce is at the core of the capacity and connectivity of our system.
The Power of Connection
An underlying idea across this strategic briefing is connectivity.
Across the range of actions – Māori leadership, establishing localities, connected care, clinical leadership, systems of care, data infrastructure, specialist networks, telehealth, rural hospital networks, workforce strategies and links with training institutions – the common focus is building a system of connected organisations and professional groups with common goals, shared information and high levels of transparency.
We know that complex systems, like health care, work better and innovate faster with high levels of connectivity and strong feedback mechanisms. The health reforms may bring about structural and process changes, but if our system is not joined up, the reforms will fail to thrive.
Connectivity is an outcome of good leadership. It is up to leaders from all parts of our system to reach out to each other and take the opportunity that this transition time offers.
Health NZ and the Māori Health Authority will be providing shape and structure for our new system, but they will be looking for local ideas and solutions to inform new approaches to service commissioning.
This briefing provides some places to start.
Across the range of actions – Māori leadership, establishing localities, connected care, clinical leadership, systems of care, data infrastructure, specialist networks, telehealth, rural hospital networks, workforce strategies and links with training institutions – the common focus is building a system of connected organisations and professional groups with common goals, shared information and high levels of transparency.
We know that complex systems, like health care, work better and innovate faster with high levels of connectivity and strong feedback mechanisms. The health reforms may bring about structural and process changes, but if our system is not joined up, the reforms will fail to thrive.
Connectivity is an outcome of good leadership. It is up to leaders from all parts of our system to reach out to each other and take the opportunity that this transition time offers.
Health NZ and the Māori Health Authority will be providing shape and structure for our new system, but they will be looking for local ideas and solutions to inform new approaches to service commissioning.
This briefing provides some places to start.