National Urban Māori Authority calls for Māori self-determination in health

Wednesday, 17 June 2020

National Urban MÄori Authority chair Tureiti Moxon.

The National Urban Māori Authority (NUMA) says greater self-determination for Māori is needed to address inequalities in healthcare and has to be at the heart of any reforms of the sector.

The New Zealand Health and Disability System Review was released on Tuesday and called for the creation of a new Māori Health Authority. But details on how the new body will be funded and how it will commission services remain up in the air.

The National Urban Māori Authority (NUMA), which represents the Manukau Urban Māori Authority at a national level, said it will only work if it is an independent fully funded entity that allows for greater self determination. NUMA chair Tureiti Moxon said she wanted to acknowledge the hard work by Simpson and her panel of expert advisors.

“This report endorses the views of the Waitangi Tribunal, it recognises the inequity suffered by Māori yet also shows the capacity of Māori Health Providers.”

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But she called on the government to step up and support greater Māori self-determination in health.

“That means sharing power by enabling Māori to be in complete charge of funding and commissioning as we understand what works for our people. Just like we were empowered to do during lockdown through the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency,” Moxon said.

“The government entrusted this Māori Authority with mandated resources in the Budget which were expedited effectively and fairly to those most in need. We see the principle of determining our own health system being no different to that.”

Tureiti said the authority should be a kaupapa Māori agency that is owned, governed and managed by Māori, for Māori, with Māori.

She said it would result in consistent funding and result in Māori Health Providers being less dependent on DHBs.

Health and Disability System Review chair Heather Simpson said in the report there were still some issues that would have to be worked out in more detail.

“In the end there was no consensus on the extent to which the Māori Health Authority should control the funding and commissioning of services for Māori. But while that is a significant difference, and is a debate which is sure to be ongoing, it should not detract from the rest of the recommendations.”

The review panel was divided over how the Māori Health Authority should be funded and operate.

Under the proposal put forward by Simpson, the Māori Health Authority would take on all of the existing functions of the Māori Health Directorate, currently part of the Ministry of Health. It would retain oversight of all things Māori in the health system, but overall funding would stay with Health NZ.

But some of the panelists were concerned this would limit its role and mean it functioned as part of the ministry and not an independent Māori entity. This would see the new authority operating as nothing more than an advisory group.

Health Minister David Clark said it was time to change the health system and the way services are delivered. He said decisions on individual recommendations would be made by cabinet over the coming months and would carry over into the next term of Parliament.