Te Whatu Ora delays decision

By Chris Valli

Te Whatu Ora is delaying decisions on a mass restructure involving about 1600 jobs with the national health screening unit.

It is unknown at this stage if Marlborough based management staff will be affected.

The National Screening Unit is responsible for the ‘safety, effectiveness and quality’ of bowel, breast cancer and cervical screening programmes.

Andrew Slater, Chief People Officer for Te Whatu Ora told the Sun Newspaper the organisation started the next stage of consultation in March on proposals to streamline their corporate and office management functions to ‘better support frontline care.’

Slater says most of the proposed changes will impact people who are in management and leadership roles or teams in corporate and office management functions.

“The change process is taking longer than initially anticipated, given the importance of the decision-making, and the need to work through and consider the very thoughtful and extensive feedback our staff has shared,” he says. “While the consultation process is ongoing it would be inappropriate to speculate on how many roles may be impacted.”

Slater says with regards to the National Screening Service ‘the organisational structure for the delivery of the services is currently being consulted on.’

“Screening programmes play a critical role in improving health outcomes and preventing deaths from cancer and are a key priority for Te Whatu Ora under Te Pae Tata. We remain focused on continuing to deliver and improve all our screening programmes, including bowel, cervical and breast screening, and antenatal and new born screening.”

The Public Service Association said it had been advocating for all workers, as many were not covered by a collective, and was pleased Te Whatu Ora had been listening.

“This is too important to be rushed,” national secretary Kerry Davies said in a statement last

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Sun The Godzone to be hosted in Marlborough

Marlborough’s richly distinctive landscapes and adventurous locations will form the backdrop for the world’s largest expedition race as the host location for One NZ GODZONE Chapter 12.

One NZ GODZONE says the Marlborough District Council has successfully bid for the rights to host New Zealand’s most iconic adventure race next year, with race dates set for 29th February – 8th March 2024.

Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor says hosting the prestigious outdoor event that brings plenty of regional economic and promotional benefits is an honour.

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About 1600 jobs have widely been reported as being on the chopping block, though Te Whatu Ora have said that some jobs would merely have their “reporting lines” changed. The huge agency has done zero external consultation over the changes aimed to concretiseunder the banner “Simplify to Unify” - the long-running health sector sea-change that is very far from proving itself to the public. Women’s health advocates say making such big changes entirely internally makes a mockery of public engagement. Especially, they said, when they had heard enough from the frontline to conclude the national health screening unit would likely be disbanded.

They expect cancer and other screening to instead transfer into an immunisation and prevention unit.

Te Whatu Ora’s number one message was that “no patient-facing positions will be affected by these changes.”

Slater added the restructure will not impact on the delivery of the screening service received by the public in Nelson and Marlborough.

The formation of Te Whatu Ora on 1 July 2022 brought together 29 different entities under one Crown entity, including the 20 former DHBs, eight shared service entities and Manatu Hauora functions.

Te Whatu Ora employs the largest workforce in New Zealand with over 80,000 kaimahi working for the organisation

The gruelling non-stop multiday One NZ GODZONE pitches teams of four against each other as they navigate their own route across an unrelenting course that includes disciplines such as mountain biking, trekking, pack rafting, ropes and coasteering.

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