logo
‘Otago is being overlooked'

‘Otago is being overlooked'

A new medical school will be established at the University of Waikato. File photo
The government's backing of a third medical school at Waikato is yet more evidence it cares little about Dunedin, opponents say.
Health Minister Simeon Brown said yesterday Cabinet had approved $82.85 million in government funding towards the project, with the university chipping in more than $150m.
The numbers differ from National's policy heading into the 2023 election.
Then, it pledged $280m for a third medical school at Waikato University, with the university to raise a further $100m.
The school would also open in 2028, a year later than National had promised, but still with an initial roll of 120 students.
The University of Otago and University of Auckland — which run the country's two existing medical schools — had submitted to the government they could train more medical students for significantly less than the cost of establishing a new medical school.
Megan Pōtiki. PHOTO: ODT FILES
Otago Polytechnic executive director Dr Megan Potiki said she was surprised by the decision, "which even Treasury had described as unaffordable".
"Otago Polytechnic has concerns about the potential impact on clinical placements for our nursing ākonga [students], and on the long-term security of our industry-leading nursing programme."
Dr Potiki's comments come after the government's decision to place Otago Polytechnic in a federation model rather than being fully stand-alone.
"It appears Otago is being overlooked by this government with their recent decisions, and Otago's proud tertiary track record is being undermined."
Otago University, which had been strongly opposed to the idea, yesterday had a mixed response. .
Megan Gibbons. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Pro-vice-chancellor for health sciences Prof Megan Gibbons said the university was disappointed the government did not follow the alternative and more cost-effective option of further increasing the intakes into the country's existing medical schools.
"However, any investment that supports growing and sustaining the health workforce is a step towards strengthening care for our communities — particularly in rural and under-served regions."
Otago was committed to working alongside others in the sector to ensure the best outcomes for the health of all New Zealanders, she said.
Auckland University dean of medical health services Prof Warwick Bagg would not comment on that university's previous opposition to the plans.
Instead, Prof Bagg looked towards the positive.
"Today is a historic day for medical education in New Zealand. The government has made its decision, and the good news is the extra 120 students."
Others were not so sanguine.
Bryce Edwards. PHOTO: ODT FILES
Director of The Integrity Institute Dr Bryce Edwards issued a scathing assessment of the decision that said it had been political rather than one made in the best interests of the health system or the education system.
"It's a stark contrast to have the new Dunedin hospital really restrained in its build and essentially funds cut back, producing a less than optimal new hospital at the same time that $83m is going to be spent elsewhere in the health system that, frankly, very few experts believe is a good spend of money.
"The people of Dunedin and Otago should feel aggrieved."
Taieri MP Ingrid Leary, of Labour, said nothing about the decision had been transparent.
"There's nothing rational about it either.
"Given the cuts to the new Dunedin hospital, the vindictive and appallingly communicated decision last week by Penny Simmonds regarding Otago Polytechnic, and now this decision that effectively kneecaps our medical school, it is clear that Christopher Luxon and his three-headed government don't care one iota about the deep South."
In August last year, Treasury shared the concerns of the existing medical schools saying the plan was unaffordable and that there were other ways to achieve the government's goal of increasing the number of rural GPs.
Green MP Francisco Hernandez said the government had committed to yet another irresponsible, white elephant project.
"The quarter of a billion dollars on just capital costs for a third medical school would have been more responsibly spent on boosting the number of doctors that Aotearoa needs from tried-and-true training facilities at Otago and Auckland."
University of Waikato vice-chancellor Prof Neil Quigley said it was "a landmark moment for New Zealand".
"We will be offering a programme that selects and trains doctors in a fundamentally different way and will complement New Zealand's two existing medical schools."
matthew.littlewood@odt.co.nz
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Kiwi paralysed in surfing accident in Aus day before engagement party
Kiwi paralysed in surfing accident in Aus day before engagement party

1News

time2 hours ago

  • 1News

Kiwi paralysed in surfing accident in Aus day before engagement party

A Kiwi tradie who was living on the Gold Coast became paralysed from a surfing accident just 24 hours before flying home for his engagement party last year. Jonathan 'Johnny' Konings, now 32, moved to the beachside neighbourhood of Kirra in Queensland in 2022 with his partner of seven years, Charlie. Coming from Hamilton, the couple hoped to start a life full of sunshine, beaches, and surfing. However, on June 18 last year, Johnny had a freak wipeout while surfing at Duranbah beach, landing him in a wheelchair potentially for the rest of his life. Johnny told the Daily Mail the morning of the accident was a normal one, "avo on toast with the missus" before going to meet with a client for the first job of his day. ADVERTISEMENT When the meeting got pushed back, Johnny decided to make the most of the ideal conditions and get out in the surf. He had been surfing since he was 16 and said that day, "was one of those days where you don't have to sit there and study it too long... it was looking pretty fun". But on his first wave, his landing went wrong, and he was thrown into the ocean floor, hearing a "clunk" as his body hit the sandbar. "It took a few moments for me to resurface," Johnny said. "I was pretty winded, so I was concentrating on my breath, and then a few moments later, I realised that I couldn't feel anything or move my legs." A nearby surfer helped to stabilise him on two surfboards before sprinting to a nearby beach to get help, but he was struggling to breathe due to a punctured lung and three broken ribs. Johnny had to wait 45 minutes for a lifeguard to get to him by jet ski, where he was then airlifted to a Hospital in Brisbane, the only facility in Queensland equipped with a spinal rehabilitation ward. ADVERTISEMENT "All I could think was Charlie, as we were meant to fly to New Zealand the next morning for our engagement party." Scans showed he had a burst fracture on his vertebra and a dislocation. The damage to his spinal cord was classified as ASIA A, which is the most severe form of paralysis. Although surgeons operated immediately, he was told he would never walk again. "Those were some of the darkest days of my life, and our life, to be honest," Johnny told the Daily Mail. "There is so much grief that comes with not being able to use your legs. It's like a whole version of yourself that dies." His injuries have left him unable to work, and while most spinal cord injury survivors in Australia are eligible to receive assistance through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Johnny and Charlie have not lived long enough for citizenship or access to the scheme. The couple is having to privately fund his medical needs, specialist therapy, equipment, and daily care alongside rent. ADVERTISEMENT Charlie is now Johnny's full-time carer, while also having to find paid work to support both of them, with catheters alone costing over $21,800 per year, according to the Daily Mail. Now, the couple hopes that with community support, they can rebuild their dream lives, which will also include children in the future. Due to his injuries, Johnny and Charlie have been advised to begin IVF as soon as possible, which is another massive financial burden. "I wouldn't wish it on anyone," Johnny said.

Pharmac must shift from being a gatekeeper of cost to an enabler of health
Pharmac must shift from being a gatekeeper of cost to an enabler of health

NZ Herald

time10 hours ago

  • NZ Herald

Pharmac must shift from being a gatekeeper of cost to an enabler of health

Their tireless advocacy, amplified by journalist Rachel Smalley's sharp campaigning and the lived experiences of thousands of New Zealanders, has helped shift this conversation from the margins to the mainstream. The public mood is shifting. Pharmac, once internationally respected for its fiscal restraint, now faces growing pressure to demonstrate its relevance in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment. How Pharmac can transform into a health enabler: Cecilia Robinson writes that it's about reimagining what Pharmac is here to do. Photo / Getty Images The question is no longer whether Pharmac is doing the best it can with what it has, but whether its model is still fit for purpose. As someone who moved from Sweden, where access to modern treatments is standard, I was horrified to discover that many New Zealanders must turn to Givealittle to fund medicines available freely elsewhere. It's not just unfair. It's unthinkable. Therefore, the appointment of Natalie McMurtry as Pharmac's new chief executive comes at a critical time. While her background in Alberta's health system brings relevant experience, the task ahead is not just about leadership, it's about reimagining what Pharmac is here to do. Pharmac must shift from being a gatekeeper of cost to an enabler of health impact. Its role can no longer be confined to doing more with less. The public expects more transparency, compassion and to access medicines freely available in countries such as Australia, Ireland and Singapore. Pharmac's original model was developed in a different era, when the core challenge was controlling pharma companies, who were gaming the system, and skyrocketing costs. These issues are still important, but cost-effectiveness, particularly as measured through QALYs (Quality-Adjusted Life Years), is now too narrow a lens. It doesn't account for broader system benefits: medicines that prevent hospitalisation, help people stay in work, reduce caregiving pressure or support mental wellbeing. New Zealand's medicine gap persists despite a $604 million investment, with patient advocates urging change. Photo / 123rf We need to move towards a broader, health-impact framework. Medicines should not be viewed in isolation as a standalone budget line but as levers that can help to reduce pressure across the entire system. They reduce demand on emergency departments, improve quality of life and help address chronic conditions before they escalate. This evolution in thinking requires stronger alignment between Pharmac and Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora. As integrated care becomes the national direction, the way we fund medicines must reflect how those medicines contribute to overall system efficiency and patient outcomes. Pharmac's current structure, operating within a ring-fenced budget, has created artificial constraints that limit innovation. While it has helped secure competitive prices, it has also locked us into a rigid, risk-averse model that can't keep pace with the demands of modern medicine. To stay relevant, Pharmac must adopt smarter, more flexible funding approaches. This includes: ● Outcomes-based pricing: linking funding to real-world results, so high-cost drugs are only paid for if they work ● 'Access equity' funding: targeted budgets for treatments that don't fit traditional metrics, such as rare disease therapies ● Public-private co-investment: partnerships to enable earlier access to emerging or breakthrough treatments These models are already in use globally. New Zealand, with its small scale and centralised health system, is well placed to adopt and lead in this space but doing so will require political will and cross-agency collaboration. One of the strongest criticisms of Pharmac is that its decision-making too often overlooks the most marginalised. Equity must not be treated as a footnote, it must be central to how decisions are made. Pharmac must evolve to meet New Zealand's healthcare needs, advocates say. Photo / Getty Images That means asking tough but necessary questions: are Māori and Pacific patients missing out? Are people in rural communities being reached? Are high-cost treatments for small groups, such as children with rare conditions, being given a fair assessment? True equity means seeing value not only in volume, but in fairness. We must move away from one-size-fits-all measures of utility and toward a model that recognises the value of treating the under-served, the isolated and the overlooked. Pharmac has made efforts to improve its equity lens, but these steps need to be embedded and expanded. This includes involving communities earlier in decision-making, co-designing criteria for assessment and setting explicit targets to reduce access gaps. If there is one thing Pharmac must urgently regain, it is public trust. Right now, too many New Zealanders feel shut out of its processes, confused by its rationale and left behind by its pace. Trust won't be rebuilt through a communications campaign. The Pharmac chair, Paula Bennett, is pushing through some important reforms which require a fundamental shift in how Pharmac relates to the people it serves. That means: ● Transparent processes that clearly explain what's funded and why ● Better engagement with patients, clinicians, researchers, and advocacy groups ● A willingness to admit when the system isn't working and to try new things The leadership of new CEO McMurtry offers an opportunity to reset that relationship. Her described strengths, quiet achievement, systems thinking, and clinical experience, will need to be paired with openness, boldness, and humility. It's encouraging to see the appointment of Dr Dale Bramley as CEO of Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora. Bramley brings deep experience as a public health physician and former chief executive of the Waitematā District Health Board, along with a strong understanding of the health system from both clinical and leadership perspectives. Dr Dale Bramley has been appointed CEO of Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, bringing extensive public health and leadership experience to the role. Photo / Dean Purcell His appointment provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen alignment between Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora and Pharmac. As the country moves towards integrated care as the national model, our approach to funding medicines must also evolve, recognising the role modern medicines play in improving patient outcomes and driving overall system efficiency. Pharmac's future must align with where the health system is heading: more integrated, more proactive, more preventive. Medicines that enable self-management, support digital care, or reduce reliance on acute services are now core to how we deliver better outcomes. Health systems globally are shifting from volume to value. New Zealand must do the same. That requires moving beyond simple funding silos and embracing joined-up thinking, where medicine access is seen as a strategic investment, not just a cost centre. Pharmac has a unique role to play in this shift. But to fulfil it, the agency must move from cautious gate keeping to confident leadership. It must be willing to challenge legacy assumptions and champion bold ideas that better serve the public good. The real test is whether it can lead to a smarter, fairer, more compassionate approach to medicine access – one that reflects the realities of modern New Zealand, embraces equity, and evolves as science and society change. The opportunity is real. With the right leadership, the right frameworks and the courage to think differently, Pharmac can become not just a funding body but a force for health transformation. But that will take more than good intentions. It will require bold decisions, structural reform and a clear commitment to doing things differently. Tinkering at the edges won't cut it. The time for real change is now. Ultimately, Pharmac's legacy won't be defined by how tightly it managed its budget. It will be judged by how well it met the health needs of its people.

Te Pāti Māori, Greens outraged at 'marginalising' passport changes
Te Pāti Māori, Greens outraged at 'marginalising' passport changes

RNZ News

time13 hours ago

  • RNZ News

Te Pāti Māori, Greens outraged at 'marginalising' passport changes

Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Te Pāti Māori says the government's changes to passports are an attempt to whitewash the national identity. The government confirmed on Friday New Zealand's passport is being redesigned to place the English words above the te reo Māori text. The new look won't start being rolled out until the end of 2027. Since 2021, passports have had "Uruwhenua Aotearoa" printed in silver directly above New Zealand Passport. Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said the positioning of text on passports will change to reflect the government's commitment to using English first. She said the redesign - which would be unveiled later this year - was being done as part of a scheduled security upgrade, ensuring no additional cost to passport-holders. Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said the change diminishes the visibility of tangata whenua. "Our passport is not just a travel document, it's a statement of who we are as a nation. So, the stripping down of te reo Māori, or marginalising our indigenous identity, reflects this government's sad obsession with erasing Te Tiriti o Waitangi and dragging us back to a monocultural past," she said. Ngarewa-Packer said the move undermined Aotearoa's reputation as a leading nation in recognising indigenous rights. "Restoring our reo took a long time. I mean imagine doing this in Ireland, imagine doing this to the Welsh. This was hard fought for. It's not re-ordering of words, the reformatting is deliberately done to undermine the mana [and] to sideline us tangata whenua." Benjamin Doyle Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle said the move is not what New Zealanders need from the government. "We are seeing day by day, the rights and dignities of minority communities being stripped away while they leave the majority of New Zealanders suffering under the government's current decisions," Doyle said. "This is not a positive vision for Aotearoa, this is not a positive step towards unifying kotahitanga and it's not benefiting anyone. Really, its just dog-whistling politics. It's the tail wagging the dog." The ACT Party celebrated van Velden's move on social media, saying the change would "restore English before te reo Māori - without costing taxpayers". The change comes as part of a deliberate push by the coalition to give English primacy over te reo Māori in official communications. New Zealand First's coalition agreement with National stipulates that public service departments have their primary name in English and be required to communicate "primarily in English" except for entities specifically related to Māori. It also includes an as-yet-unfulfilled commitment to make English an official language of New Zealand.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store