logo
User sceptical over changes to needle exchange service

User sceptical over changes to needle exchange service

By Katie Todd of RNZ
Changes to a decades-long needle exchange contract have left a Christchurch drug-user and health expert worried the decision will breed distrust, potentially leading to needle-sharing.
Health NZ has not renewed the contract for DISC Trust, which has operated needle exchange services across the South Island for 35 years and has instead opted for a new provider He Waka Tapu from 30 September.
RNZ understands 19 staff are waiting to hear about the future of their jobs, while people who use the service were worried He Waka Tapu might not replicate the "peer-to-peer" approach that made them comfortable using DISC Trust's services.
The man, who spoke to RNZ on condition of anonymity, had been using DISC Trust's needle exchange at Christchurch's Rodger Wright Centre for about 10 years.
He said DISC Trust staff were knowledgeable and most of them had been drug users themselves.
"You're talking to someone who, who really, you know, actually gets it," he said.
"There are no ulterior motives. They're not trying to convince you to give up your drugs and go and do treatment. If you want other services or information, you can ask and they'll give you that help, but they're not going to pressure you to go to rehab.
"You see people in there who look like they're probably bodybuilders and you see other people that you know are using meth - all sorts of drugs. Whatever you're injecting, that's the place to get your needles from and to get rid of them safely."
The man had sought advice about methadone and Hepatitis C treatment and received safe injecting equipment to take methamphetamine and heroin, including getting drugs checked for potency and any unwanted contaminants.
DISC Trust also provided advice on overdose prevention and injection techniques that did not lead to tissue damage, he said.
The man was concerned He Waka Tapu - a kaupapa Māori health organisation - would not have the same level of impartiality because it also offered a range of rehabilitation and treatment plans.
"Just because someone's got the equipment to give out, it doesn't mean that I'm going to trust them. It takes time to build up trust in a service," he said.
"I can't imagine, like, doing treatment there and then deciding I'm going to inject some drugs and having to go back to the same place. That would be so embarrassing."
Health NZ said the needle exchange contract stipulated that people with "lived and living experience" had significant roles in the design, delivery and leadership of the programme.
Needle exchange locations and employment details were still under negotiation, although it was confident there would not be any disruption to services, Health NZ said.
When approached for comment, He Waka Tapu referred RNZ to Health NZ, which declined to provide further details.
"Health New Zealand is currently negotiating a contract with the preferred provider. It is therefore premature for either Health New Zealand or the provider to respond to your query," Health NZ said. DISC Trust 'incredibly surprised and disappointed'
DISC Trust executive director Philippa Jones said it ran six needle exchanges from Nelson to Dunedin and staff had about 30,000 "interactions" with drug users each year.
She said the trust was "incredibly surprised and disappointed" to loose its needle exchange contract, but it would continue to provide other services such as HIV screening and vaccinations.
"We've built a really deep connection with our communities and that's not something that can be replaced overnight, especially for people who are really stigmatised when they engage with the mainstream health system," she said.
"This was a service established by the community of injecting drug users, for them. That's a unique feature of the service and that's how it's able to build that significant trust with clients."
Jones said DISC Trust was informed of the contract loss on 16 June and staff were yet to hear from He Waka Tapu.
University of Otago Professor Jeff Miller said people might re-use or share needles if they did not feel comfortable with the new service.
"So you're moving into physical [tissue] damage and you're also moving into potential increase in exposure to hepatitis C in particular," he said.
The loss of DISC Trust's needle exchange contract was "bizarre", he said.
"It's a source of huge frustration and a little bit of disbelief to see this particular service, which incidentally is the most effective hepatitis C treating service in the country, apparently disappearing off the map," he said. South Island needle exchange funding
RNZ understands funding for South Island needle exchange services has been reduced from $1.4 million to $1 million.
Health NZ would not confirm the figures and declined RNZ's interview requests.
In a statement, it said funding for regional needle exchange and harm reduction services was allocated based on population statistics.
"The national budget for the delivery of needle exchange and harm reduction services and free safe injecting equipment is around $6 million per annum," HealthNZ said.
Miller said the shift to a population-based approach was new and concerning, because data suggested the South Island had a higher proportion of people who injected drugs than the rest of the country, so deserved a bigger funding share.
DISC Trust distributed about 40 percent of the country's sterile drug equipment, despite Te Wai Pounamu having only 23 percent of the country's total population.
Know Your Stuff spokeswoman Casey Spearin said her organisation had worked with the trust to provide drug-checking services and she was also concerned abut the change.
"It's disappointing to note that the overall funding amount for this service in Te Waipounamu has been scaled back. We have over three decades of evidence showing that needle exchange services reduce the burden of disease and other downstream effects on our health services and save taxpayer money," she said in a statement.
"While we are pleased to see that He Waka Tapu provides wraparound support and whānau and tikanga-based approaches, there are likely to be some impacts when transferring needle exchange services to a new provider.
"Ideally, He Waka Tapu would have been brought on to complement the existing services provided by DISC and helped provide these vital services to more people who need them."
Health NZ said the services would transition to He Waka Tapu over the next two months and it was confident staff would "deliver the required services to people who inject drugs and who live in Te Waipounamu".
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Doctors welcome health minister's GP training funding shake-up
Doctors welcome health minister's GP training funding shake-up

RNZ News

time18 hours ago

  • RNZ News

Doctors welcome health minister's GP training funding shake-up

Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners president Dr Samantha Murton. Photo: Supplied Doctors are welcoming the government's move to fully fund specialist GP training. Previously, medical graduates only had their first year of specialist general practitioner training paid for, but now all three years would be covered. The government would also cover the exam costs for about 200 trainees, and full education costs for about 400 year 2 and 3 trainees each year. President of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners - which delivers the 'General Practice Education Programme' - Dr Samantha Murton, said the changes brought GP training in line with all other medical training across New Zealand and Australia. "This funding will be a gamechanger for current and future trainees. This is a significant acknowledgement for the specialism of the general practice workforce and the vital role we play in healthcare being as important as those of our peers in secondary hospital settings. "Not only will this funding offer the necessary financial support our GP registrars need throughout their training, but we are optimistic that the news will encourage medical graduates who have an interest in general practice but have been put off by the financial barriers to make the step to train as a specialist GP. To them, I say welcome and you won't regret your decision." Chief executive Toby Beaglehole said the college was enthusiastic that primary care funding was heading in the right direction. "We are focused on building a sustainable workforce for the future , which starts with training and the equitability of our program costs to other specialist medical training. "This funding sends a signal to the sector that the expertise of general practice is valued as a vital part of the health system." Announcing the changes at a GP conference on Friday, Health Minister Simeon Brown said they would help improve New Zealanders' access to primary healthcare . Health Minister Simeon Brown. Photo: Calvin Samuel / RNZ He also announced the government's funding method for GP clinics, known as capitation, would be updated for the first time in more than 20 years, with changes taking effect from 1 July, 2026. "The current model is outdated and doesn't reflect the needs of patients. The revised formula will go beyond just age and sex, to also include multimorbidity, rurality , and socioeconomic deprivation," Brown said. "These changes will better distribute funding to where it's needed most, so that GP clinics with a higher needs population of enrolled patients will receive more funding to care for them." A new national health target would be developed with the primary care sector, proposing to ensure that more than 80 percent of people could see a primary care provider within one week. "People shouldn't have to wait weeks to see a doctor. Delays can lead to poorer health outcomes, more pressure on hospitals, and growing frustration for patients. We're focused on delivering timely, quality care that puts patients first." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

Former Black Fern fundraising after shock cancer diagnosis
Former Black Fern fundraising after shock cancer diagnosis

1News

time21 hours ago

  • 1News

Former Black Fern fundraising after shock cancer diagnosis

Cheryl Waaka, a former Black Fern and a māmā to two teenagers, is now facing her toughest opponent yet, stage 4 bowel cancer. She was a fit and strong wāhine Māori hailing from Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Kahungunu, she's won two World Cups in the black jersey and is still dedicated to the game — but her diagnosis in June has left her stricken with sadness. "I was healthy, running around, doing my everyday job. It was King's birthday weekend. There was a Johnny Isaacs Māori tournament in Kaikohe. I was running the line, AR-ing, and three days later, I'm on the floor in excruciating pain." She remembers the day her life was changed forever. "I got my brother to get me to the GP in Kaikohe. Ambulance to Kawakawa. Ambulance to Whangārei and then that night, broke the news that I have a tumour in my bowel and I need to have emergency surgery. ADVERTISEMENT "I suppose I'm very lucky to my surgeon. He got the tumour, but unfortunately, it spread to my liver. In March, Health Minister Simeon Brown announced the National Bowel Screening Age would be lowered for all New Zealanders from 60 to 58, a step he said would save hundreds of lives. The "redirected" funding was previously set aside for a pilot programme that allowed Māori and Pacific people to access bowel cancer screening starting at age 50. While Brown said the age of eligibility for free bowel screening was projected to prevent an additional 771 bowel cancers and an additional 566 bowel cancer deaths over the next 25 years, advocates called the move "institutionalised racism" as half of bowel cancers in Māori occurred before the age of 60. Waaka, who was up to date on all her health checks, said if the screening age was lowered to 50, her diagnosis would not have been stage 4. "If it didn't happen now, would [the tumor] have been still sitting there, and by the time I got to 58, if I got to 58, it might have been too late. "You look at me, strong, fit, healthy. It can happen to anyone. And I don't want it to happen to anyone." ADVERTISEMENT (Source: Photosport) And the effect ripples to her whānau, she recalled the moment she had to break the news to her two children. "I wouldn't like to wish that on anybody. Just myself to be told, and then to actually tell the kids. "I was trying to hold myself to be strong, as we do as wāhine. So that was one of the hardest moments of my life. I wouldn't wish that." The rates of early onset colorectal cancer have risen by 26% per decade on average over the past 20 years, according to University of Otago researcher Dr Oliver Waddell. Researchers and Māori health practitioners have called for the age to be lowered to 45 as it was in many other countries. "If we had [earlier] screening, I most probably wouldn't be costing the country money. ADVERTISEMENT "That's how I'm looking at it. If I was able to get screened at a younger age, you just imagine how much money this government will be saving in health costs," Waaka said. Bowel cancer treatment costs depended on when it was found — stage 1 being the cheapest and stage 4 is the most expensive. For Waaka, her bowel cancer has got into her liver and aside from rounds of chemotherapy, the non-funded drug she needs comes at a cost of $30,000. To start her first round of treatment on August 11, she is having to fundraise to survive. But Waaka said it's a big ask to turn to the community for funds. (Source: Photosport) "Life is hard, people are struggling and for me, I feel like I'm taken from the whānau. "And everyone said, you know, you've given so much, it's our time, but deep inside you know everyone's struggling to survive out there, and I'm just so grateful that people are willing to help me to survive and for me to fight this fight... which I'm going to do." ADVERTISEMENT She wanted her off-the-field legacy to be remembered as much as her on-the-field career. "I'm never one to ask for help, but I'm always giving. So for me, my legacy will be that I've given everything that I can, and hope I've just left something that will remind people of me." By Mihingarangi Forbes of

Less than half of recent nursing graduates employed by Heath NZ
Less than half of recent nursing graduates employed by Heath NZ

Otago Daily Times

timea day ago

  • Otago Daily Times

Less than half of recent nursing graduates employed by Heath NZ

Nursing students and recent graduates say they are being "failed" by Health NZ, which has employed just 45% of mid-year graduates. Health NZ figures show just 323 of 722 applicants have got jobs in hospitals through its Advanced Choice of Employment Mid-Year matching process. Co-president of the Nurses Organisation student unit, Bianca Grimmer - who is set to graduate at the end of the year - said it was "really discouraging". "It's certainly affecting all of our cohorts from year one to year three, lot of uncertainty and students wondering if they continue with their degree or look at finding a job somewhere else. "Te Whatu Ora used to hire 80-90% of all graduates. We were blindsided this time last year when only three in every five mid-year graduates were hired. This year is even worse." Health NZ said for the mid-year matching process, there were 173 applications from graduates who were still looking for jobs after graduating at the end of last year. National Chief Nurse Nadine Gray said those who did not get hospital jobs were placed in the talent pool, which was open to all registered employers across the health sector. In recent years, the majority of initially unmatched applicants had successfully secured positions from the talent pool with about 84% of nurses eventually finding roles in both 2023 and 2024. "Graduate RNs [registered nurses] often look to hospitals for their first role, and while we are working to employ as many graduate RNs as possible, I want to encourage students to look right across the health system when looking for their first job." The government was investing in expanding and strengthening the nursing workforce in primary and community care, Gray said. The investment includes: $30 million over five years to fund 400 graduate nurses into primary and community care each year, with providers receiving $15,000 for employing a nurse in an urban setting and $20,000 in a rural setting. $34.2 million over five years to fund 120 nurse practitioner training places in primary care each year from 2026. An additional $21.6 million over four years to accelerate advanced tertiary education for up to 120 primary care registered nurses annually. The Nurses Organisation said a recent survey of 1246 nursing students found 62% would consider seeking a nursing job overseas if they were unable to get a new graduate job in Aotearoa New Zealand. This increased to 73% for Māori students. Bianca Grimmer said nursing students recently attended a jobs expo where Australian recruiters were offering graduates better wages and conditions. "We have a health system in crisis and desperately need more homegrown nurses. With 30,000 Kiwis leaving for Australia in the past year, this short-sighted decision by Te Whatu Ora will see more graduate nurses packing their bags." About 36,000 of NZNO's Te Whatu Ora members are preparing for a 24-hour national strike on July 30 after Collective Agreement negotiations stalled. The union said Health NZ's "refusal to commit to its obligation to employ new graduates" was one of the sticking points.

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