'We cannot miss this moment': Waikato medical school must address health inequities
Photo:
Supplied
A new medical school at the University of Waikato must deliver for Māori, says a Waikato-based Iwi Māori Partnership Board.
The government
announced on Monday
it had approved $82.85 million in government funding toward the school, with the university chipping in more than $150m.
The school would open in 2028, with an initial roll of 120 students.
Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board (IMPB) represents 114,000 whānau Māori in the wider Waikato region.
The 15 IMPBs were established in 2022 initially to support the Māori Health Authority and to advocate for whānau and communities in their regions. When the authority was disestablished they
picked up some of its responsibility
.
Te Tiratū co-chair Tipa Mahuta said the investment in the medical school marks a significant opportunity to address long-standing health inequities and workforce shortages in the region - especially for rural, Māori and underserved communities.
Te Tiratū co-chair Tipa Mahuta
Photo:
Supplied/Sarah Sparks
But she said this can only be realised if Māori health workforce development, cultural safety, and equity are embedded as foundational pillars in the new medical school's design, training model, and governance.
"Whānau across Waikato have told us time and again: they want to see more Māori health professionals-people who understand our values, our lived experiences, and our ways of being as Māori.
"Cultural safety is not a nice-to-have. It is essential to clinical excellence, trust, and good health outcomes. If patients don't feel safe, they disengage-and that can cost lives."
An artist's impression of the new Division of Health Precinct at the University of Waikato, which will be home to the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine.
Photo:
Supplied
Te Tiratū urged the government, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, Hauora Māori Directorate and the University of Waikato to work closely with iwi, hapū and community partners to shape a graduate school that delivers on its promise - not only to grow the GP workforce of clinical placements across the country, but to heal a system given Māori die on average at least seven years before non-Māori.
"We cannot miss this moment. A third medical school must reflect a third way-a culturally grounded, equity-driven, future-facing model of training that serves all New Zealanders, starting with those most underserved," co-chair Hagen Tautari said.
Te Tiratū was ready to partner and contribute to the new 'Division of Health' health precinct opening on the University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato campus, he said.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Nelson Hospital review reveals 'nothing of substance'
A review of Nelson Hospital highlights long wait times, understaffing and ageing infrastructure, but cancer survivor and patient advocate Daniel Walker says those issues have been obvious for years. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee A cancer survivor says a review into Nelson Hospital is "unacceptable" and has found "nothing of substance". The report released on Wednesday highlights long wait times, understaffing and ageing infrastructure, but cancer survivor and patient advocate Daniel Walker said those issues had been obvious for years and were what prompted the review in the first place . He said it was disappointing the report didn't offer solutions to those problems. "I'm incredibly disappointed by it, they basically have had four months to go away and investigate these things that we have been highlighting and they've come back with really nothing of substance or surprise," he said. Walker said he wanted to make sure Nelson Hospital's management would be held accountable to solve the issues the report had identified. "One of the [important] things is actually having accountability for their management team, having a plan in place they have to stick to. So if they want to staff it properly, give the details so people can manage their expectations." He also suggested Nelson Hospital, and others like it, consider hiring patient advocates. "I think there needs to be a patient advocacy service at each hospital," Walker said. "So there's somebody there who can go in and find out the information they need and advocate on behalf of the patient." That was a service Walker said he had longed for while battling cancer. "I was in the middle of chemotherapy and I had to fight for my own healthcare, and so if there was someone whose role was there to advocate on behalf of the patients, that means I could focus on my health and wellbeing." Daniel Walker said the lack of any clear recommendations from the report was disappointing. "There's no clear plan. Basically, from what I've read of the report, they [say they] want to plan or they need to investigate further, but there's no timeline for that. They've left it very open," he said. "So we're still stuck in the same position we were four months ago ... And that's unacceptable for us in Nelson and for New Zealand as a whole." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
5 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Telehealth launch criticised
A local primary health organisation has criticised recent announcements about the launch of telehealth services. Minister of Health Simeon Brown recently announced a new 24/7 digital health service offering virtual consultations with New Zealand-registered doctors and nurses "anytime, anywhere". The service connects patients to clinicians through trusted providers using secure digital technology. Doctors and nurse practitioners will be able to assess symptoms, diagnose conditions, prescribe medications and provide referrals — all from wherever the patient is. "This is about making sure Kiwis can get the medical help they need when they need it, especially when they can't get a timely appointment with their regular general practitioner, or outside normal clinic hours," Mr Brown said. "It also helps ease pressure on emergency departments by treating non-urgent issues earlier and in the right setting." It would ensure care was available when and where it was needed, helping to bridge the gap when traditional access to a general practitioner was not possible, he said. The digital service gave people greater access to the care they needed, but did not replace the critical role of general practitioners, who were responsible for their patients' continuity of care. "That is why providers will be required to send clinical notes back to a patient's GP after an appointment. "At the same time, we are backing GPs with a record up-to-14% funding boost this year to support the critical work they do in our communities," Mr Brown said. WellSouth chief executive Andrew Swanson-Dobbs said primary care was in crisis in many parts of the Southern region and across the country. "We continue to hear about clinicians working unpaid, about doctors unable to retire as there is no replacement." "This is compounded in our rural parts," Mr Swanson-Dobbs said. About half of the general practices in Otago and Southland are rural or at least a 50-minute drive from a hospital. Existing services had been undermined, both clinically and financially, by telehealth providers, he said. "Investment is shifted to a service that effectively takes patients away from their own GPs. "To make matters worse, telemedicine is pulling GPs and nurses from practices for these telehealth roles." Telehealth was contributing to the issue and should not be seen as an alternative to a superior face-to-face service, he said. "If you want to reverse the trend of too few GPs, hire more GPs, fund the existing GPs adequately." As the primary health organisation for Otago and Southland, WellSouth had always maintained that investment in primary care should first and foremost support the workforce on the ground in existing general practices. "Our rural communities especially need clinicians to keep their practices sustainable." While telemedicine was an important part of primary care, more investment in people was needed, he said. "That is why at WellSouth, we are investing in building and sustaining our local general practice workforce, through new investment in training and supporting our GP registrars and new nurse practitioners, in addition to our existing nursing workforce and healthcare assistants." Mr Brown said that, as minister of health, his priority was to ensure all New Zealanders had access to timely, quality healthcare. "That is why the government has invested a record $16.68 billion in health over three budgets to bring down wait lists, employ more frontline health workers and ensure we have the health infrastructure Kiwis need. "This government has been clear that we want to see more healthcare delivered in the community and ensure that hospitals have capacity to provide planned treatments and emergency procedures. "To do this, we need greater funding of primary and community healthcare." The recent announcement of an agreement between the government and the University of Waikato to establish a new medical school may provide some welcome news. WellSouth clinical director Dr Carol Atmore said training doctors with a focus on primary care and rural health was important for the country. "The evidence shows that if you train people from rural backgrounds in rural settings both at undergraduate level and once qualified as doctors, those doctors are much more likely to settle and work in rural communities in the longer term. "Nearly half of our communities in Otago and Southland are rural and this is where the biggest workforce issues sit across the country." While there was no guarantee the graduates would end up working in the South, it was hopeful that having about 120 graduates going through the new primary care and rurally focused training programme at the University of Waikato might help alleviate some of those workforce pressures for Otago and Southland in the long term, Dr Atmore said.
Scoop
13 hours ago
- Scoop
Voices For Visibility: Marking World Head And Neck Cancer Day In Aotearoa New Zealand
Each year on July 27, World Head and Neck Cancer Day brings global attention to one of the most complex and under-recognised groups of cancers. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the Head and Neck Cancer Support Network Trust is calling for greater visibility, earlier detection, and improved care for people affected by these challenging cancers. Head and neck cancers affect the mouth, throat, voice box, sinuses, nose, and salivary glands. While they represent only about 4% of all cancers in New Zealand, their impact is far greater. Treatments often involve disfiguring surgery, radiation, chemotherapy—or all three—leaving patients with lifelong difficulties in speaking, swallowing, breathing, and eating. And yet, despite these challenges, the voices of those affected are often lost in our health system. A Growing Need for Change In recent years, we have seen an increase in HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers, particularly in younger people. At the same time, oral cancers continue to disproportionately affect older adults and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Māori patients often face worse outcomes due to delayed diagnosis and limited access to services. Despite advancements in treatment, our health system is struggling to provide timely and equitable care. Patients report delays in diagnosis, and insufficient support during survivorship. As one survivor told us, "You're patched up, but you're not put back together." We can do better. What We're Asking For The Head and Neck Cancer Support Network Trust believes that every New Zealander affected by head and neck cancer deserves: Timely, accurate diagnosis Coordinated multidisciplinary care Access to clinical nurse specialists and rehabilitation services Culturally appropriate support for Māori and Pacific patients A national action plan for head and neck cancer We also call for increased awareness in the general public and among primary care clinicians. Early detection saves lives—but only if people know what to look for. Persistent hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, unexplained mouth sores or lumps in the neck should never be ignored. Our Work The Trust is a national patient-led charity working to improve outcomes through advocacy, peer support, and education. We maintain online forums, connect patients with resources, and collaborate with clinicians to improve care. Most importantly, we listen to and amplify the lived experiences of survivors, carers, and whānau. On World Head and Neck Cancer Day, we honour their strength—and we recommit to fighting for a system that sees them, hears them, and heals them. What You Can Do Learn the signs and symptoms of head and neck cancer Share our resources with your networks Talk to your GP if something doesn't feel right Support our work at Together, we can bring head and neck cancer out of the shadows—and ensure no one faces it alone.
