Waitaki Health Futures project

The project is a partnership between:

• Te Runanga o Moeraki
• Waitaki District Council
• Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora.

Being community led, it also includes local people from

• Oamaru Pacific Island Community Group (OPICG)
• Kati Huirapa Runaka ki Puketeraki
• Stronger Waitaki
• Hato Hone St John
• WellSouth PHO.

The project aims to improve coordination and access to quality healthcare services for all residents. This includes more efficient healthcare delivery, and enhanced community health programs tailored to the unique needs of the Waitaki district.

Improvements to coordination and access will make sure future health service provision is clinically and financially sustainable for the Waitaki community.

We expect improvements will begin implementation from early 2025.

Contact us

For more information you can email the team at TWPcomms@tewhatuora.govt.nz

Media releases

Community engagement begins on future of Waitaki healthcare services

Work under way to improve Waitaki healthcare services following community engagement

In September 2024 the Waitaki community helped inform the future shape of healthcare services in the district by completing an online survey or attending face-to-face engagement sessions.

We created a report based on the engagement results.

Waitaki Health Futures Project — Community engagement report March 2025

General responses to the questions

Question 1 – What do you and your whānau need to stay well in the community?

• Reduced wait times for general practice appointments.
• Reduced wait times for specialist appointments.
• Affordable health care, especially general practice.
• Transport to and from Dunedin.
• Wellbeing, such as warm housing, good kai, exercise facilities.

Question 2 – When you or your whānau are unwell, what would you want from the health system to improve your health and wellbeing?

• Reduced wait times for general practice appointments.
• Reduced wait times for specialist appointments.
• Safe and quality care.
• Good communication and respect.
• Transport to and from Dunedin.

Question 3 – Think about the health and wellbeing services you and your whānau access – what have you liked about your experience?

• Quality health care from a range of services locally.
• Health professionals that know us.
• Individualised care and patient choice.
• Support to stay well at home or in the community.
• Timely and coordinated care, including transfers out of district.

Question 4 – Think about the health and wellbeing services you and your whānau access – what didn't you like about your experience?

• Long wait times.
• Travel or lack of transport to and from Dunedin.
• Poor communication and coordination of care.
• Inadequate quality and safety of care, disrespectful care.
• Lack of continuity of care.

Community engagement helped inform our next steps, alongside local provider engagement, local health utilisation data, community demographics and local patient journeys.

The Project will roll out in 3 phases.

Phase one – Do now

• Implement locally identified immediate actions.
• Streamline hospital services.
• Fast-track delivery of existing initiatives.

Local health and community leaders identified four priority areas that support the community responses and strengthens local patient journeys. These priority areas helped steer the 'Do Now' actions. Examples of an action under each of the priority areas is below.

Navigation – Improve information, communication and overall health literacy

For example, implement Medimap into the emergency department (ED) at Oamaru Hospital to improve communication and patient care between Aged-residential care and ED.

Access – Simplify referral pathways and open boundaries, streamline and improve first specialist assessments, improve patient transport

For example, investigate changes to boundaries, such as opening referral pathways to Timaru Hospital.

Workforce – Improve local capacity and capability, ensure a flexible (mobile) workforce that is working at top of scope

For example, expand vaccination workforce in Waitaki to improve access to immunisation for​ priority populations, including Māori and Pacific under-2s.

Positive change – Positive change through reviews to improve service delivery​

For example, transitional care pathway for older people to improve hospital to aged-residential care to home transitional care for older people, ensuring more people are supported to receive care from home.

Phase 2 – Connected and coordinated care

• Stronger networking between health services.
• Combined clinical approaches to quality care.
• Exploration of opportunities for service co-location.

Phase 2 is in the scoping and implementation planning stage.

Phase 3 – Integrated health approach

Strengthened integrated system that includes primary, community and hospital services operating together in a single service approach across the continuum of care.

Phase 3 is in the scoping and implementation planning stage.