Planning & funding

Child health services are largely delivered based on developmental ages and stages, and usually divided into two age groups, 0–4 and 5–14 years. Auckland and Waitemata DHBs have developed a joint Child Health Improvement Plan 2012–2017 to provide a framework for improving the health of children and their families. This is a fluid document which will be updated to incorporate changes that arise from Ministry of Health directives or recommendations from the Auckland DHB child health stakeholder advisory group.

There is a broad range of factors that influence the health of children. We will work across sectors in addressing health priorities such as rheumatic fever, skin sepsis, immunisation, injury prevention, oral health and sudden unexplained death in infancy (SUDI), to maximise health gain. The Vulnerable Children Act 2014 came into effect on 1 July 2014. This act impacts frontline staff in health, education, social development, justice and police and requires that providers of services to children, or services to adults with respect to children, have a child protection policy in place with a framework to identify and manage actual and/or suspected child abuse and neglect.

For more information, including sample policies and policy templates contact Ruth Bijl, Funding and Development Manager – Child, Youth and Women’s Health on 021 914 717 or email Rbijl@adhb.govt.nz

Auckland DHB provides 125 community pharmacies in our region with prescribed pharmaceuticals. The northern region works collaboratively to progress the long term strategy for pharmaceutical services and holds monthly meetings with programme managers and community pharmacy representatives. Bi-monthly pharmacy advisory group meetings are also held between key community pharmacy representatives from across the region and the DHB to discuss topical issues and the role of pharmacy in primary care. This advisory group is sometimes used as a reference group for DHB initiatives.

Auckland DHB funds community pharmacies to provide free support to help smokers quit. This service includes nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) with $5 co-payment and support from the pharmacy over a month. Community Pharmacy Stop Smoking Services.

Disability is the collective term for the percentage of our population who identify as having an impairment. This includes the significant number of elderly people who are no longer able to function independently or without support. We operate a statutory advisory committee in conjunction with the Waitemata DHB. 

To improve health status for Māori, by helping hospitals cater for Māori, retaining Māori who become healthcare professionals and to improve healthcare practices so that Māori values are respected. He Kāmaka Oranga was established in 1994 with the aim to improve Māori Health. In 2013 there was a collaboration of Māori Health services across Auckland and Waitematā DHBs and today it is named He Kāmaka Waiora, Māori Health Services.

The Chief Advisor Tikanga Māori Health leads the organisation in managing relationships with mana whenua and iwi Māori from a tikanga perspective and provides assistance in managing Treaty of Waitangi risks. The Chief Advisor Tikanga Māori role is supported by Waitematā DHB and Auckland DHB Māori Health team which are responsible for policy development, research, workforce development, planning and funding, provider management, quality, and clinical leadership across the primary, secondary and tertiary sector.

The introduction of practices based on tikanga Māori have made a significant contribution to Māori Health in the region. The He Kāmaka Waiora Auckland DHB provider team works with Māori patients and their whānau when they need to access the hospital services. This includes coordinating whānau accommodation, providing social and cultural and advocacy services and working with Auckland DHB clinicians and other Auckland DHB staff to ensure that services are responsive to the needs of Māori Health gain.

The Health of Older People (HoP) portfolio is principally responsible for the care of people within central Auckland who are aged 65 and over. Service providers for this group fall into four main categories: Aged residential care (ARC), home and community support services, specialist services (Auckland City Hospital inpatient services and A+ links) and home care. Older people, who make up approximately 10% of the Auckland DHB population, are also high users of other services such as primary and acute care, as well as the provision of pharmaceuticals and laboratory tests. Auckland DHB is charged with implementing the national HoP Strategy, which is largely concerned with the enactment of the "ageing in place" philosophy – a shift in care provision which will enable older people to live safely in their homes with support for longer periods of time, delaying or preventing admission to residential care wherever possible.

For more information contact Kate Sladden, Funding & Development Manager – Health of Older People 09 630 9943 ext 26714 or KateS@adhb.govt.nz

Auckland DHB believes it is important to prevent long-term conditions, or enable people who have them to live well. Our objective is to re-orient services to improve the prevention, detection and management of long-term conditions within a life course approach.

The aim of maternal health services is to deliver safe and effective maternity and obstetric services in partnership with women, their families/whānau, and other primary maternity and Well Child providers.

For further information contact Ruth Bijl, Strategy and Planning Manager, Women, Youth and Children on phone 021 914 717 or email at RBijl@adhb.govt.nz

We believe in improving mental health outcomes by enhancing the quality of mental health services, and that this can be achieved by integrating care and not just focusing on hospital-based services. As such, community and rehabilitation services are important to us. Health providers cannot address all mental health needs, so we also have close links with employment and accommodation services as well as capacity and skill development programmes. We are implementing a range of improvements to our mental health and addiction services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI or rainbow) patients after a report identified some barriers to treatment for rainbow communities. 

Auckland DHB is implementing a range of strategies to improve nutrition, increase physical activity and increase breastfeeding rates. Underpinning our approach is a focus on building capacity and capability within key settings in order to generate local action and provide channels of influence. A key strategy is providing appropriate and accessible training and mentoring to community representatives and health personnel, and ensuring the availability of practical tools and resources.

We provide a number of outpatient/day-based services primarily from our site at Greenlane Clinical Centre. 

The aim of the oral health programme is to keep mouth, gums and teeth in good condition to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Auckland DHB’s focus is particularly on children and youth (0–17 years old).

Fakaalofa lahi atu, malo e lelei, talofa lava, kia orana, bula vi naka and welcome! The Auckland and Waitemata DHB Pacific health team advises, advocates for, supports and assists in improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities for Pacific people. They work as part of an integrated approach where all of Auckland DHB is responsible for meeting the needs of our Pacific population. The team provides leadership and support to community based services delivered by Pacific providers and other organisations. 

Palliative care seeks to improve the quality of life of people facing problems associated with life-threatening illness as well as providing support to their families. We aim to prevent and relieve suffering through early identification and assessment, and also provide treatment for pain and other physical, psychosocial and spiritual problems.

Services you would encounter in primary care include contact with your family doctor or GP, practice nurse, pharmacist, accident and medical clinic, midwife, Plunket nurse, physiotherapist or podiatrist. Many of these services are funded by the government (as hospitals are funded), but the funding doesn’t always meet all the cost of providing the service by these private businesses. This means you may be charged what’s called a co-payment or fee for some of these services. 

Refugee groups in New Zealand and their ethnic communities are growing and diverse, particularly in the Auckland region. Pre-migration experiences often lead to high health needs on arrival, and very few refugees have emerged from their experiences without having endured or witnessed some form of physical or psychological trauma. Living in New Zealand can lead to lifestyle changes such as tobacco smoking, increased obesity, and reduced physical activity which can result in adverse health outcomes.

Refugee groups require tailored and targeted health interventions. Health services which are culturally and linguistically responsive will improve access, provide early intervention and reduce avoidable hospitalisations, and we are focusing our current activity on these areas.

Women's health is more than reproductive health. It involves issues specific to female anatomy such as breast and cervical screening, as well as family violence, eating disorders and depression. The breadth of issues means that the services offered and programmes supported, range from being speciality focussed (eg, gynaecology) to community development.

For further information contact Ruth Bijl, Funding and Development Manager – Child, Youth and Women’s Health 021 914 717 or RBijl@adhb.govt.nz

Most young people enjoy good health. They are happy, healthy, resilient and poised to become vibrant adults who participate in their communities. However, we also know that between the years of 12 and 24, young people are more likely to be caught up in risk-taking behaviour and that the consequences can be life-long. As a group, young people have particular needs that are different from children and adults, and our services need to reflect this.

For further information contact Ruth Bijl, Funding and Development Manager – Child, Youth and Women’s Health 021 914 717 or email RBijl@adhb.govt.nz