Media release from Minister of Health Tony Ryall

Health Minister Tony Ryall has received over a hundred  public responses to the Ministerial Review Group Report "Meeting the Challenge"

The feedback is available from today on the Beehive website.

The Government commissioned the Ministerial Review Group in January to advise on improving the quality and performance of the public health system.

"'Meeting the Challenge' is a comprehensive report, with 170 recommendations on how to reduce bureaucracy, improve frontline health services, and improve value in the public health and disability sector," Mr Ryall says.

"The Ministerial Review Group included some of the leading clinicians and managers in the health sector.  It reported to the Government on 31 July as required by their terms of reference.

"There was no requirement for the report to be made public while its 170 recommendations were being considered. The Government is being quite open and that is why we are releasing the feedback as well."

The Health Minister says he is pleased with the quantity and quality of the response.

"There is generally strong support for many of the 170 recommendations, and as to be expected, a mixed response to the structural changes proposed for the Ministry of Health."

"All feedback is being carefully considered."

A group of officials is providing advice to the Ministers on the proposals and the government expects to consider this advice over the next few weeks.  

The Government is under no obligation to accept all or any of the report's recommendations.

"If it doesn't reduce bureaucracy or improve health services, we won't do it" Mr Ryall says.

"I want to thank the many people and organisations that have made the effort to forward their views to me. I'm confident their feedback will help produce significant improvements to front line health services."

Public responses to "Meeting the Challenge" are available on the Ministerial website.  Individual responses have been anonymised (names and addresses withheld) while organisation feedback is detailed by organisation name.