The Crown’s commitment to a Māori Health Authority and giving Māori greater power to determine their own health outcomes is currently “short on detail” says Waitangi Tribunal claimant, Lady Tureiti Moxon, Chair of National Urban Māori Authority.

“It’s time for transformational change and that is a Māori Health Authority but what that actually means and looks like still remains unknown,” Moxon said.

The Crown is meant to be working with Lady Tureiti and 5 other claimants of the Stage One of the Health Services and Outcomes Kaupapa in the design of the Māori Health Authority.

This was a clear recommendation in the Hauora Report by the Waitangi Tribunal in 2019.

Last month the claimants filed a historic Joint Memorandum with the Crown detailing the terms of reference for an independent Māori Health Authority.

Core design principles determined by the group about the structure and form of the Māori Health Authority were signed by Counsel for the Crown in a joint document filed in the Waitangi Tribunal.

The proposed framework covered operational independence, adequate and enduring funding and ‘mana motuhake’ – Māori control over health and wellbeing including service design, delivery and monitoring.

Yesterday Health Minister, Hon. Andrew Little announced at a ‘scene setting’ event that the Government has chosen to go beyond the Health and Disability System Review Report recommendations to give greater expression to tino rangatiratanga.

The Minister said more details about the decisions made by Government would be released in April.

Transformation of the public health system through decentralisation in the form of a Māori Health Authority to tackle inequity is the right and principled move, “finally” believes Lady Tureiti.

“Māori around the country who are connected to their in the community enabled to be responsive to the needs of their own is a good thing rather than a centralised body in Wellington or the District Health Board or Ministry of Health.”

“The Health system cannot keep the way it is going. More and more money is poured into the sector currently. But less and less people are receiving the services they need. Particularly those medical conditions that remain undiagnosed or those suffering from preventable diseases. This new way would capture them much earlier and much quicker,” she said.

“Mana motuhake (independence) in the form of a Māori Health Authority is paramount and it must have teeth so we achieve equitable outcomes for our people and save lives.”

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