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Improving Health for New Zealanders by Investing in Primary Health Care

Date of publication: December 2000

• Summary
• Publication availability
• Publishing information

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Summary

This report contains the National Health Committee’s (NHC’s) advice to the New Zealand Minister of Health in 2000 on:

• How primary health care can reduce health inequalities by reaching individuals and groups in communities who are disadvantaged and underserved
• How primary health care can best achieve improvements in health outcomes for communities through population-based approaches.

The report is based on evidence about effective primary health care in New Zealand and international literature and the growing number of successful initiatives occurring around New Zealand at the time of the report. It does not cover every aspect of primary health care and is separate from the Ministry of Health's primary health care strategy. However, many of the conclusions in this report are consistent with the primary health care strategy, reflecting the importance of population-based approaches and reducing health inequalities.

This report recommended significant changes for primary health care in New Zealand. It identified that effective implementation of its recommendations would require leadership, clear policy directions and co-operation between the Government, District Health Boards and primary care providers. The Ministry of Health's proposed primary health care strategy would start this process, which needed to be supported by adequate investment and workforce development.

Specific recommendations in this report were:

• The Government should support the orientation of the whole sector towards a broad primary health care approach with a focus on health promotion, early intervention and disease prevention
• The Government should preferentially invest in primary health care services with the intention of moving to fully-funded care over the next five years
• Funding of primary health care should be largely through capitation in order to support population-based approaches, rapidly address existing inequities in funding and improve accountability for better health outcomes
• Primary health care organisations should be funded to deliver essential services to their enrolled population through interdisciplinary teams
• Workforce initiatives should be funded and implemented to train primary health care practitioners to work in the new environment.

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Publication availability

This publication is available in PDF format below:

Improving Health for New Zealanders by Investing in Primary Health Care (PDF, 165 KB)

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Publishing information

Date of publication: December 2000

ISBN 0-478-10490-1 (Booklet)
ISBN 0-478-10491-X (Internet)