Tim Tenbensel, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
With great expectations come great challenges, and one of the biggest facing the new Health NZ agency will be rebuilding a collaborative ethos in the sector.
New Zealanders have, in principle, access to free healthcare. But inequality is a major issue, affecting Māori and Pasifika communities and New Zealanders living with disabilities or in poverty.
NZ$4.3 billion will go some way to patch up long-standing cracks in New Zealand’s health system. But COVID-19 has shown NZ’s regional approach to health isn’t good enough against a nationwide threat.