A Taranaki health service says vulnerable patients are about to lose dedicated help during complex, often frightening medical care because of a government funding cut.
Local Democracy Reporting has found that from July there will be no more money to pay some 130 healthcare guides across the country.
Called kaiāwhina, they give guidance and wraparound support to people facing difficult illness and injury.
Ngāti Ruanui Healthcare says its sole kaiāwhina is key to ensuring comprehensive care for South Taranaki communities and GP practices.
Ngāti Ruanui Healthcare is iwi-owned and run, but non-Māori make up almost half of its enrolled patients.
Graham Young, Ngāti Ruanui Tahua general manager, said it’s a funding cut to frontline staff.
“This is not Health New Zealand trimming the fat in the backroom.
“Our kaiāwhina work alongside other healthcare professionals and services to ensure the best possible health outcomes for our most vulnerable patients.”
Young said people grappling with medical problems often became physically and mentally exhausted navigating the system, coordinating appointments, and managing medications.
Help from kaiāwhina brought fewer hospitalisations, better quality of life, and increased life expectancy, he said.
Young said the cuts seemed ideological and political.
“The Government’s support of Māori services isn’t an act of generosity — it’s a legal mandate based on Treaty rights.”
A month after Local Democracy Reporting first asked, Health New Zealand confirmed the cuts.
It said the previous Government funded kaiāwhina for two years as part of new Comprehensive Primary Care Teams (CPCT).
The Māori Health Authority Te Aka Whai Ora — terminated by the incoming Government — spent more than $23 million on kaiāwhina to work in CPCT.
The new Government hadn’t renewed the funding, so it had “expired” and kaiāwhina contracts would “end naturally” at the end of June, said Selah Hart, the interim national director of Health NZ’s Hauora Māori Services Group.
Taranaki loses money for four full-time-equivalent (FTE) kaiāwhina, neighbouring Whanganui loses 4.2 FTEs, and nationally 128 FTEs are being defunded.
“While these specific positions are not continuing, Health NZ remains strongly supportive of kaiāwhina roles and their value in the health system.”
Health NZ declined an interview and did not explain how it remains supportive of kaiāwhina.
It also wouldn’t say whether only kaiāwhina money has been cut, or if the Government would also defund other roles in the CPCT.
The chief executive of Ngāti Ruanui’s iwi said Health NZ was gambling with lives of South Taranaki’s most vulnerable.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui kaiwhakahaere Rachel Arnott said she had very little confidence the Government would ever honour “Tiriti-guaranteed rights of iwi, hapū and whānau”.
“This coalition Government promised its cuts would not impact frontline services.
“Clearly that was a lie. I wish I could say I was surprised.”
Young said kaiāwhina were cultivating positive, lasting relationships between patients’ GPs, specialists, and health providers.
Ngāti Ruanui Healthcare would explore all options so patients continue to get the support they need, he said.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
