Healing the Breach: Can a Government Health Board Re-build Community Trust?

Glensor P¹*

1. Hutt Valley District Health Board, Lower Hutt, Hutt City, New Zealand

In New Zealand, from 2000, 21 District Health Boards (DHBs) were established after a decade of a commercialised corporate model of health planning and provision. DHBs are charged with implementing the government’s health policies, funding and providing health services, and improving the health status of their population. With a mix of elected and appointed members, they are accountable both to their community and to the Minister.

This presentation describes how Hutt Valley DHB has worked to set up processes so its community of 135,000 can be a genuine participant in the DHB policy development. The DHB’s Strategic Plan drew in hundreds of provider and community participants. Extensive public and interest group meetings ensured the new Primary Health Organisations were truly community-based, not just “GP associations in drag”.

Health plans for Maori and Pacific communities were strongly community-driven. The policy of inclusion and engagement is being developed within the DHB’s own services, especially through involvement of clinical staff in service development. Community engagement requires constant commitment, as community trust can easily be lost.

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