Lay summary
Healthcare providers in rural areas face challenges in providing easily accessible and integrated services to their communities. With a chronic shortage of doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and specialist services – the inequity in healthcare in the Far North - Northland is made worse by the lack of services, thus contributing to unfavourable health outcomes. A literature review will examine the available evidence to understand the rates of Māori mortality versus non-Māori, the patterns of inequalities, the trends in health service needs, and the use of health services in Northland.