Proposed cuts to Māori and Pacific health services will result in poorer health outcomes for those communities, the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi says.
The proposals to cut 246 roles comes as Health NZ undertakes major change following a government directive to cut health budgets. Just this week, this has already seen the potential loss of more than 1500 health roles, some of which have remained vacant.
Māori health team within National Public Health Service (NPHS)
- It is proposed the entire team dedicated to Māori health within the NPHS being disestablished
- 32 roles proposed to go
- Roles impacted include health promotion and prevention
Hauora Māori Health Services
- This service was "lifted and shifted" into Te Whatu Ora following the disestablishment of the Māori Health Authority/ Te Aka Whai Ora
- Previously 367 roles including vacancies were at the Hauora Māori Health Service
- Roles have remained vacant following a "sinking lid" policy on hiring
- 131 roles are proposed to be disestablished, leaving 236 roles in this important area
The cuts to health promotion and prevention are concerning, particularly as the country battles with a whooping cough epidemic, and increased smoking rates, PSA health spokesperson Sue McCullough says.
"These are the people who support you and your whānau with immunisation or help you stop smoking," McCullough says.
"At yesterday's announcement, PSA members who work in this area were incredibly upset by this decision. Promotion and prevention are essential to the wellbeing of all New Zealanders.
"The reason Health NZ has given for disestablishing Māori workers within the National Public Health Service is 'duplication' of roles, but in many cases it's duplication of job titles.
"Different directorates have the same job titles, but the work is very different. When these directorates merge, they call it duplication, but the roles are not always the same. "Generic job titles lead to misunderstandings about the nature of the work. There's an assumption about what people do.
"It's brutal and careless.
"It has been framed as an 'improvement' to Māori health, but it's disingenuous. It's cost cutting. Plain and simple. The members know it's not about improving services."
Pacific Health in National Public Health
- Proposal to reduce 43.1 roles to 10.5 roles (32 roles)
Pacific Health Service
- 50.8 FTE roles proposed to be disestablished. Staff in disestablished roles can apply for new or combined roles. Staffing numbers reduced from 158.2 roles to 99.4 roles
- Those roles providing critical administration support, health commissioning - including programme delivery - and planning, funding and outcomes will be impacted the most.
- $12.2 million budget reduction from $162.2 million to $150 million (7.5% reduction).
- Reduced size and slowed programme delivery for 12 months, particularly for Health Science Academies, shifting to a partnership model.
"These cuts are expected to harm Pacific Communities and significantly impact the future of the Pacific health workforce. Any cuts to Pacific Services will have a significant impact on people and communities," McCullough says.
"It's proposed core funding and contracting will be given to regional teams that will be reduced in size. Programmes, delivering critical health care to Pacific communities will be either slowed or stopped.
"Again, these cuts have been made to meet a budget, rather than the need of communities. These cuts will cause harm to Pacific communities," McCullough says.
"These decisions should be about having the community's best interests at heart, rather than dollars and cents. It is vital we continue to fund and staff Pacific health services properly to ensure not only current but future generations remain healthy."
