Media release from Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health and the 21 District Health Boards have announced a decision to defer a primary health care conference, which was due to take place at the end of February.

The conference, entitled Primary Focus 3, was to be held in Wellington from 24 - 26 February 2009.

Spokesperson for the organisers, Danny Wu, said there were a number of reasons to defer.

"What we were planning was a comprehensive three-day conference, however we had fewer registrations than we'd hoped for and we were unable to attract any external sponsors.  People are looking very closely at their priorities given the current economic climate.

"This conference has been deferred.  We will be looking at different opportunities for those working at the front line of health care to get together and share their successes.  Future learning opportunities may take a different shape.  We're considering holding a forum later in the year where we can discuss the new government's priorities and policies on primary health care.

"In today's environment, we want to provide value for money, and create events that provide tangible benefits for the participants and ultimately, their patients.

Mr Wu said there were many events planned this year with professional conferences for doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other allied health staff.

"I extend my apologies to those who were looking forward to the conference.  I would like to reassure people who have registered that they will have their fees refunded.  The organisers will be in touch with those registered to provide further information on getting refunds.  
"I would also like to extend my thanks to those who volunteered their time to organise the conference, and to the speakers who have put time into their presentations.

"Both DHBNZ and the Ministry of Health are committed to continuing to create future learning opportunities," Danny Wu said.

FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS

How many had people registered?
311

Will registrants receive a refund?
People who had registered will receive a full refund via DHBNZ.  They will also be reimbursed for 'non-refundable' out of pocket expenses incurred such as the penalty for changing or cancelling an air fare, or the deposit for a hotel.

What was the conference going to be about?
1.        The objectives of the conference were to:
a.        Provide an opportunity for people who are passionate about primary health care to network, learn, share information, and build relationships;
b.        Get insights into the lessons to be learned from people working at the leading edge of primary health care nationally and internationally, and to develop understanding of what is happening now in terms of change and innovation; and
c.        Explore what primary health care in New Zealand may look like in ten years and to provide examples and sign posts of what that future might entail from a patient and providers perspective.
2.        Two key themes of the conference were Evolution of primary health care and Innovation and the future of primary health care.

What was the cost of the conference?
The plan was to break even and recover costs, however, with the low number of registered participants, this was not going to be achieved.  In addition to the conference registration costs delegates have their own travel, accommodation and time costs.

Planned expenditure $350,000
Revenue received $227,000
Residual cost $123,000

What was the conference fee for participants?
$695 for early registrations; this included two and a half days of presentations, plus a conference dinner, or $795 for late registrations.
Note: Conference attendees and/or their employers were responsible for paying for their own travel costs and accommodation.