Welcome from Margie

Tēnā koutou e ngā kaimahi, and welcome to our first issue of Tū Mata Kōkiri.

Thank you for your mahi and for the manaakitanga (support) you show towards your colleagues, patients, whānau, and communities. This has been another busy year for everyone (whether your role is based in one of our hospitals or in the community) – particularly as COVID-19 continues to have an impact.

We are still brand new – just five months old – with lots of work to do to unify our ‘team of teams’. Your voice is important to help us shape our workplace, so make sure you have your say by completing our Pulse Survey. More than 11,500 of you have done so already.

I would like to make a couple of shout-outs:

The Lakes team has implemented a new regional clinical portal, with IS teams across Te Manawa Taki supporting the go-live. The portal will provide clinicians with shared access to regional patient health information. Ka mau te wehi! (awesome).

The Te Tai Tokerau team has set up a new mobile unit to provide specialist care in the community. The new van, named Te Pahi O Ngā Iwi (The People’s Bus), plays an essential role in the early detection and treatment of heart disease. The service will also provide other diagnostic services, such as vascular and ophthalmology scans to communities who are as far away as three hours from Whangarei Hospital. Thank you for the innovation.

You can read more stories about our people in this pānui.

Finally, thank you to everyone who took the time to offer feedback on the Unify to Simplify consultation. We’ve received more than 700 comments, and I’m about half-way through reading them. My aim is to get back to you soon to provide more certainty about the way ahead.

Noho ora mai,

Margie Apa - Chief Executive, Te Whatu Ora

World First For Christchurch Hospital

A ground-breaking new test that can diagnose heart attacks in minutes has been developed by emergency doctors at Christchurch Hospital.

Tests that would usually take a couple of hours to process in a laboratory can now be administered at the patient’s bedside, with an eight-minute turnaround time for results. The test works by measuring a protein in the blood that is released from damaged heart muscles when people are experiencing a heart attack.

Christchurch Hospital will be the first in the world to implement the new test, before it's rolled out to hospitals across the country.

Have A Safe-As Summer

As Aotearoa gets ready for summer, now is a good time to remind everyone about how to stay safe from COVID-19. To help get the message out, we’ve launched the ‘safe-as summer’ campaign. To find out more, watch an awesome interview on TVNZ Breakfast with Dr Anthony Jordan and Dr Mataroria Lyndon.

Ngā Tātai Ihorangi Video

Check out the video of ‘You Are Woman’ from Te Tai Tokerau. The song, co-written and performed by local musicians Taniora Tauariki and Gibson Harris, follows Kaylah and Reece through their pregnancy journey. The music video also features Hatea Kapa Haka group and Pehiaweri Marae whānau.

The video was produced to support Ngā Tātai Ihorangi - our First 2000 Days programme, which provides antenatal education to pregnant Māori women.

Eight Days Left To Have Your Say!

Be sure to give your feedback in the Ngātahitanga Pulse Survey. It’s open until Wednesday, 14 December, and takes less than five minutes to complete.

To access the survey, check your inbox for a link or go to your local intranet for other ways to access it. Survey results will be shared early in 2023.

Open

Financial Delegations

Have your say on a common approach to financial delegations. The consultation is open for feedback until 5pm, 16 December. Any questions, contact us at delegationconsultation@health.govt.nz.

Closed

Unify to Simplify

Thanks to everyone who provided feedback on Unify to Simplify – a proposal to nationalise enabling functions and some delivery services. We received more than 700 comments. Margie is looking through these and will update us on the next steps later this month.

Procurement and Supply Chain

The consultation on the proposed new leadership structure for Procurement and Supply Chain closed last month. You can find the decision document for this consultation on your local intranet.

Palliative Care Doctor Honoured

Congratulations to Dr Catherine D’Souza, who recently received the Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Specialty of Palliative Medicine. Catherine, from South Canterbury, is the first person to receive this new award from the Australasian Royal College of Physicians. Ka pai, Catherine!

Flight Nurse Clocks Up 1,000 Flights

Flight nurse Aileen Kirby, from Taranaki, left her role on a high when she completed her 1,000th patient flight on her last day in the job. Aileen, who started her nursing career in 2004, said being a flight nurse has all the intensity of ICU but with an amazing view! Haere rā Aileen and thank you for your mahi.

Duo Wins Innovation Award

A big shout-out to Leanne Browne and Becca Hammond. They received an award at the Health Round Table Allied Health Innovation conference in Hobart last month. The award recognises their work on the Capacity at a Glance Board and Variance Indicator Board Tool. This tool is being used by North Shore and Waitākere hospitals to provide real-time information on staffing levels for the Allied Health workforce. Already the tool has helped improve services and contributed to staffing efficiencies.

Helping Calm Patients’ Nerves

Congratulations to Sharon Sivewright for winning the Rotary Pride of Workmanship award. Sharon is the friendly face who welcomes patients when they come to Hawke’s Bay Hospital for elective surgery. She was nominated by colleagues for her calm, friendly demeanour and the positive effect she has on patients who are nervous about their surgery.

Hospital and Specialist Services Operating Model

You can read the latest update on the Hospital and Specialist Services Operating Model on the Te Whatu Ora website. The update summarises feedback from the engagement hui that took place across the country recently. The team visited 23 locations, held 50 meetings, and met more than 800 leaders and staff. Responses to the operating model were mostly positive, but the team also took on board people’s concerns and feedback about potential challenges. Thank you to everyone who attended for your time and for sharing some of your personal stories.

All-Staff Hui - Thursday 1 December

Thanks to everyone who tuned into the staff hui with Margie and Riana, along with special guest Abbe Andersen, National Director Commissioning.

Upcoming All-Staff Hui - Thursday 15 December

Margie and Riana will be holding their next staff hui on Thursday 15 December at 9.15 am. Don’t forget to put the date in your calendar.