(PR.co.nz) Acting Director General of Health, Andrew Bridgman, today congratulated members of the 25 provider collectives who have been selected to move to the next stage of making the Government’s Whānau Ora programme a reality.
“All agencies involved have indicated a commitment to work together to provide better, more effective ways of working with whānau.
“If we keep doing the same thing, we’ll keep getting the same results – and past approaches have not always been effective or efficient,” Mr Bridgman said. “I’ve been impressed by the response and enthusiasm from providers in the health system keen to get on board and agree to work together to make a positive difference for New Zealanders.
“By teaming up with providers from across the spectrum of health and social organisations more can be achieved.
“With Whānau Ora the focus is for whānau to be at the centre of all activities, and for whānau to be more involved and take more control and responsibility for their own health and future wellbeing.
“The Ministry of Health, alongside Te Puni Kōkiri and the Ministry of Social Development, will be supporting providers as they work towards implementation. The next stage involves laying out detailed action plans, called ‘Programmes of Action’ that will provide the ‘nuts and bolts’ details about how services will be provided to better meet the needs of families in local communities. As a Government agency our role is to make it easier for this to happen.
“Whānau Ora will look different in various parts of the country, and that’s one of the key differences when you look at what happens now. Whānau Ora is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution. It’s about tailoring and regrouping services to meet the needs and aspirations of whānau.
“I would like to congratulate all of the providers who have been selected to be part of this important programme,” Andrew Bridgman said. “Changing the way you work won’t be without challenges – but as a member of the Whānau Ora Governance Group, I’ve seen that there’s a diverse group of people already doing the hard yards across the country. Through Whānau Ora we want to focus your efforts to where they can make the biggest impact,” Andrew Bridgman said.
Media Release on 29 October 2010 from New Zealand Ministry of Health