08 September 2009
Dear Member
We welcome any feedback on the contents of the 15th issue of ASMS Direct for 2009. This copy of ASMS Direct focuses on:
1. The report of the Ministerial Review Group (Horn review).
2. Health Minister to require DHBs to share board members for greater collaboration.
3. Moving from FIGJAM to genuine clinical leadership.
4. New health domain name launched: .health.nz
5. Telecom dispute reminder.
6. Annual Conference reminder.
1. The Horn Report – risk of paralysis for government
The mixed bag nature of the Horn Report was summarised in the previous ASMS Direct. There will be a more detailed analysis in the forthcoming issue of The Specialist. Cabinet will have to consider the 170 recommendations. Perhaps the biggest thing taxing the minds of cabinet is the Horn Report’s recommended major restructuring by downsizing of the Ministry of Health and creating a new less accountable National Health Board (NHB) with enhanced powers in the funding and running of DHBs.
The challenge for government is that the time spent on creating a new national bureaucracy and on the change in relationships between this new bureaucracy and the 21 DHBs will be considerable. The Horn Report greatly under-estimates the effect its recommended restructuring will have on those working in the health sector.
The risk to government is that so much time will be spent on getting the new structures up and running with benefits (if any) a long time down the track. Further, the risks of destabilisation, paralysis in decision-making and confusion will be high. No government would be keen to go into an election with controversial restructuring being largely all they have to show for their health policy.
2. Health Minister to require DHBs to share board members for greater collaboration
On 8 September, Minister of Health, Tony Ryall announced that DHBs would be sharing appointed board members. This is a welcome step towards enhancing collaboration between DHBs and being more supportive of health professional led clinical networks between them. His media statement is below:
District Health Boards are to share some appointed board members to strengthen DHB collaboration and add financial capacity.
Over the next fifteen months, the Government will increase the number of appointed District Health Board members who sit on more than one neighbouring Board.
Mr Ryall says that just as health services are enhanced with increasing clinical networking between hospitals, so health services can be improved by DHBs working more closely together.
This is particularly so in Auckland and Wellington, but is also important with neighbouring DHBs in the regions.
The Health Minister says that having common members on neighbouring boards will help to break down silo thinking and assist DHBs to have a better knowledge of each others' services and issues.
It should also help to improve services through greater regional co-operation.
The Minister will be looking to add people with health and financial expertise.
DHBs have responsibility for overseeing budgets from $100 million to over $1 billion a year. They also have in total around $160 million of unfunded services (DHB deficits) inherited from the last Government.
However the Ministry of Health advises that only around 10% of Board members have specific financial expertise.
The Government has committed to not forcibly merging DHBs, and that will be honoured. However that does not mean we cannot take positive steps to bring our DHBs closer together, and the cross appointment of some common members is a positive means of achieving that.
3. Moving from FIGJAM to genuine clinical leadership
Linked is a copy of an address to the Hospital and Community Dentistry Conference on 1 August in Queenstown on the above subject. The meaning of FIGJAM is provided in the address.
4. New health domain name launched: .health.nz
Health Minister, Tony Ryall has launched a new ".health.nz" domain to make easier the finding of a health professional or health facility's website and email addresses. Health providers can now use the suffix .health.nz for health websites and email addresses, for example www.abcmedicalcentre.health.nz or drb@abcmedicalcentre.health.nz. The Ministry of Health with ACC, on behalf of the health sector, successfully applied for the exclusive use of the suffix and are now rolling out registrations to eligible organisations. Only organisations with registered health practitioners, ambulances, selected Government agencies and approved health sector support organisations will be able to use the domain.
According to Mr Ryall the ".health.nz domain will improve confidence in the credibility of web-based health information and will enable members of the sector to be easily identified in online communications.”
Globally, the World Health Organisation has campaigned for the creation of a .health domain to signal to users that certain sites meet standards of safety and accuracy and to enable users to narrow their searches. The application process and .health.nz domain will be managed by the Health Domain Moderator’s Office, sitting within the Ministry of Health.
There is currently no charge for registering for a .health.nz domain name. Information on how to apply for a health domain and further details about eligibility criteria are available at www.moh.govt.nz/healthdomain.
5. Reminder: Telecom dispute
In the last ASMS Direct we reported on the landmark contracting out Telecom dispute involving around 700 line engineers now facing redundancy or lose 50-65% of their income. If you want to make a donation to them and their families the details are below:
- 02-0568-0177685-00
- Bank of New Zealand
- Reference: Telco
6. Reminder: 21st ASMS Annual Conference, 3-4 December 2009
The 21st ASMS Annual Conference will be held in Wellington (at Te Papa) on 3-4 December (Thursday-Friday). It is a unique opportunity to discuss the exciting mix of industrial, health policy, medico-legal and political subjects. Information on registration was provided in the recently distributed June issue of The Specialist. If you are interested please contact ASMS Membership Support Officer, Kathy Eaden ke@asms.org.nz.
Preparation for our national DHB MECA negotiations early next year will be a central theme of the Conference. Another feature will be an address by Minister of Health, Tony Ryall.
Best wishes
Ian Powell
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
