The Health Minister Jonathan Coleman launched New Zealand's new health strategy in Wellington today.
The new strategy has been developed to guide change in the health sector and to lead the transformation to a more innovative, integrated, and patient-centred approach to healthcare in New Zealand.
The strategy identifies one of New Zealand's strengths as a "growing best practice evidence base developed through research" and reinforces the important role that health research will play in creating a better future for New Zealanders over the next 10 years. New Zealand's "outstanding and internationally recognised research teams, working in and with the health system," are recognised for their contribution to innovations that can improve performance and safety.
The strategy's vision includes:
- all involved in delivering and supporting services striving for excellence and improvement, supported by evidence, research and analysis
- a one-team approach that involves linking with scientists and researchers, including those working in the health system as clinicians, and those in the wider tertiary education sector or in industry
- New Zealand and international research, best practice and local innovations being shared freely and used to make improvements nationally
You can read the new health strategy on the Ministry of Health's website.