Te wero kaimahi | Health workforce challenge

This challenge is now closed.

Manatū Hauora will publish the insights collected from the Dialogue event and other recent health workforce engagement, on our website soon.

Insights drawn from the ideas and comments shared on Tātou and our other engagements will inform the development of the Health Workforce Strategy and are also being considered as part of the prioritisation of workforce initiatives by the joint Te Whatu Ora and Te Aka Whai Ora Workforce Taskforce.

As this work progresses there will be further opportunities to engage and provide feedback. This will be through a variety of channels including on the Manatū Hauora website and here on Tātou.

The challenge

The challenges for our health workforce are wide ranging, covering all areas of the health system and many have been persistent for a long time.

The pressures healthcare workers are under are the result of increasing demand, the growing complexity of healthcare, an ageing workforce, recruitment and retention challenges as well as persistent underrepresentation of Māori, Pacific, disabled and ethnic populations in the health workforce.

It is critical the health system has sufficient availability of health workers able to meet the needs of our communities and the services they require.

The health and disability system transformation has provided an opportunity to do things differently and has changed the context of the health system and workforce settings.

To achieve the vision and objectives of pae ora, we also need to ensure our health workforce is:

• equitably distributed and accessible by the population
• able to provide options for Māori and other population groups in relation to their health needs
• culturally safe, responsive and representative of the communities they serve
• motivated, empowered, able to deliver quality care and continuously improve services, access to services and health outcomes
• is enabled to provide the cultural competencies and mātauranga Māori that is needed to achieve equitable outcomes.