Permission to use Photographs
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Photographs Form
If you wish to submit photos for our homepage slideshow, or to include on our events pages, please download and fill in the Photo Permission form and email it through with the photos.
Regional Reports
Nga Maia ki Tamaki Makaurau
Nga Maia ki Te Waipounamu
Nga Maia ki Waikato
Nga Maia ki Wairoa
Rua Pokai Nga Maia i te Rauaroha
Tamaki Makaurau
Panui #42, Apr-May 2019
Panui #41, Feb-Mar 2019
Panui #40, Dec-Jan 2019
Panui #39, Oct-Nov 2018
Click arrow for more Tamaki Makaurau panui
New Zealand College of Midwives Journal
The latest paper of Journal 54 of the New Zealand College of Midwives Journal.
The paper is titled:
Recognising and responding to acutely deteriorating women in New Zealand maternity wards: A literature and environmental scan
We have also attached a research paper reflection tool designed by the Journal editorial board for midwives to use with New Zealand College of Midwives Journal papers.
Links to the paper and the reflection tool will also be available on the College website at: https://www.midwife.org.nz/midwives/publications/college-journal/
We hope you enjoy reading this paper and please remember that you can search the New Zealand Midwifery Research Database for a comprehensive index of midwifery research undertaken in New Zealand:
Other Useful Links
Public Consultation on the Draft Ethical Framework for Resource Allocation In Times of Scarcity - National Ethics Advisory Committee
Dear colleague,
The National Ethics Advisory Committee (NEAC) has prepared this consultation to canvas public feedback on an ethical framework for allocating resources in times of scarcity. See below for information on how to have your say.
Please share this email with anyone you believe would be interested in providing feedback. NEAC understand that resource allocation will affect everyone in society and would appreciate if you can forward this email to:
· The general public
· New Zealand Medical and Nurses Associations
· ICU units
· DHBs
· Policy makers and government departments
· Maori communities and Maori health leaders
· Academics and Bioethics groups
· Religious groups.
The last day for submitting feedback is 8 July 2020.
Background
NEAC is an independent advisor to the Minister of Health. NEAC was established in 2001 by section 16 of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000.
The National Ethics Advisory Committee’s statutory functions are to:
· provide advice to the Minister of Health on ethical issues of national significance in respect of any health and disability matters (including research and health services)
· determine nationally consistent ethical standards across the health and disability sector and provide scrutiny for national health research and health services.
NEAC’s current document for pandemic ethics, Getting Through Together: Ethical Values for a Pandemic 2007, provides ethical values to guide actions during a pandemic. NEAC have determined that the 2007 document should provide more detailed guidance and be explicit about some issues not already included, such as equity in resource prioritisation.
NEAC have developed a draft Ethical Framework for Resource Allocation During Times of Scarcity. NEAC’s Framework is a high-level guidance document for the health and disability sector that would help health workers and policy makers consider ethics when deciding how to allocate resources. It sets out four essential ethical principles, and four Te Tiriti principles, that medical staff, service planners and policy analysts should consider when responding to a pandemic.
The Framework adds an equity lens to decision making and assesses how equity sits alongside other ethical principles and Te Tiriti. Equity as a concept recognises different people have different levels of advantage and so require different approaches and resources to get equitable health outcomes.
In a resource allocation setting, this means that health workers and policy makers should consider how resources can be allocated to mitigate the adverse consequences of pandemic response measures while at the same time avoiding or minimising growth in inequity from those measures.
NEAC seeks feedback on:
1. Whether the Framework captures the ethical tensions in resource allocation in times of scarcity.
2. Whether the Framework helps decision-makers understand the ethical implications of making decisions.
3. Whether the Framework helps decision-makers consider equity when responding to COVID-19.
4. Feedback on the Te Tiriti Principles and their application to resource allocation decisions.
5. Any further comments and suggested changes for NEAC to consider for the final draft.
6. What ethical issues or areas of work you think should be covered in a substantial review of Getting Through Together.
How to have your say
You may give feedback on your own behalf or as a member of an organisation. You can contribute your views by:
1. completing the Citizen Space link https://consult.health.govt.nz/neac/resource-allocation-ethics or through the Ministry of Health’s web page, or
2. tracking changes and adding bubble comments on the document directly and sending it back to neac@moh.govt
If you have any queries, want to organise a zoom meeting with the Secretariat and a member of NEAC to discuss the Framework or no longer wish to receive consultation emails from NEAC, please contact the NEAC secretariat (neac@health.govt.nz).
Upcoming NEAC work
NEAC recognise that this Framework for Resource Allocation only addresses a small part of pandemic ethics, and is currently focused on COVID-19.
NEAC is the author of the 2007 document 'Getting Through Together: Ethical Values for a Pandemic’ (Getting Through Together). Getting Through Together considers the ethical issues which may arise during any pandemic. NEAC are commencing a substantial review of Getting Through Together, which will build on the work in developing this Framework. NEAC believe that Getting Through Together needs to be updated for two reasons.
The first is to consider ethical issues not covered by the 2007 document, including use of digital technologies, specific guidance on public health interventions and the impact on routine standards of care, and consideration of equity. The second relates to the structure of the document. The current document is difficult to use when considering the real COVID-19 pandemic. The target audience of a pandemic ethics document are decision-makers, government and the public. Accordingly, the document should be clear and easy to navigate.
The consultation asks for your views on ethical issues on pandemic ethics more generally, to inform NEACs future work on pandemic ethics.
Noho ora mai rā i roto i ngā manaakitanga katoa
Look after yourself, may you remain well
Nic Aagaard
Principal Advisor
Ethics
Quality Assurance and Safety
Health System Improvement and Innovation
Ministry of Health
DDI: 04 819 6859
Please sign Open Letter for an Effective Health Warning Label
Tēnā koe,
We sincerely hope this finds you well.
This email invites you to sign an open letter (attached as pdf), as an organisation or as an individual. You can also visit this website to sign up.
On the 17th of July, ten Ministers (one from New Zealand and nine Australian) will cast their vote on the design of the pregnancy health warning label to be applied to all alcohol products sold in both of our countries.
Whilst we welcome the decision to mandate a health warning label on all alcohol products, it is important that the most effective label is chosen. In an earlier vote in March, a best practice label developed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) was voted down by a majority of the Ministers. We understand, and are grateful, that our Minister in New Zealand (Hon. Damien O’Connor) voted in favour of the best practice FSANZ label in March. The strong rationale for this effective label is underpinned in a comprehensive research report.
The label was sent back to FSANZ in March due to its potential to place an undue burden on the alcohol industry. In particular, the colour red for the signal words HEALTH WARNING was to be reassessed by FSANZ.
We believe that any weakening of the effective health warning label will undermine effective health literacy. Too many New Zealanders and Australians have already been harmed by a lack of effective labelling in both countries, and our obligations to Te Tiriti o Waitangi require that we effectively address inequities in health outcomes for Māori.
If you are willing to sign the open letter, please reply by email or sign up at this website. If you are signing as an organisation, please attach your logo if possible.
Feel free to also watch and circulate this video which encourages the Australian Ministers to vote ‘yes’ to the effective label. You may also share our Facebook post here and twitter post here.
Our Australian partners are ahead of us with hundreds (400+) of signatories to their open letter – we believe that with a strong trans-Tasman partnership we can get the effective label over the line! And protect generations for years to come.
Ngā mihi mahana,
Dr Nicki Jackson and Christine Rogan of Alcohol Healthwatch
Dr. Nicki Jackson
Executive Director
Alcohol Healthwatch
T: + 64 (9) 520 7035
A: Level 1, 27 Gillies Ave, Newmarket, Auckland
Postal A: Private Bag 99407, Newmarket, Auckland 1149
Open letter alcohol health warning June 2020
Notification of the Primary Maternity Services Amendment Notice 2020
Kia ora
Please find attached:
· a letter with notification of an intent to amend the fee schedule of Primary Maternity Services Amendment 2007
· the draft Primary Maternity Services Amendment Notice 2020
· new draft Schedule 1 with amended fees.
All modules of care will receive a 2.18% increase in this fee uplift, except for the three specialist modules of care. The new fee schedule will be effective from 1 July 2020. The 2.18% fee uplift is reflective of cost pressures adjustments as determined by Labour Cost Index and Consumer Price Index for the 2020/2021 financial year. This represents only one part of the Budget 2020 funding for maternity services included in documents available on Treasury's website. The Ministry is unable to provide further details about additional maternity budget allocations until announcements are made by Ministers.
We would appreciate it if you could please distribute this information to your members.
This information is also available on the Ministry's website: https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/primary-maternity-services-notice-2007 .
If you require any further clarification please email primarymaternity@health.govt.nz .
Sector Fee Uplife Notification
Appendix 1
Appendix 2 Draft Amendment Notice
MCNZ consultations: Your invitation to provide feedback
Tēnā koutou
We are seeking your feedback on two areas that will increasingly impact how doctors practise, and the way care is provided to patients.
1. Proposed changes to Telehealth statement
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to an increase in virtual consultations and we know that this different way of practice will continue. To facilitate this, we are proposing several changes to our Telehealth statement.
You can access the consultation paper, draft statement, and existing statement on our website at the links below:
2. Draft discussion paper on When Artificial Intelligence is involved in the care of patients
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used as a tool to help practitioners in the healthcare setting. AI offers significant advantages if used appropriately and with clear knowledge of its capabilities and limitations.
Our draft discussion paper is a first step towards developing guidance for doctors who use AI in patient care, in particular the related ethical issues.
You can access the draft discussion paper on our website at the link below:
Feedback
We welcome your feedback on either or both consultations. Please provide your input by 7 August 2020.
Submissions can be emailed to consultation@mcnz.org.nz.
We look forward to receiving your comments.
Ngā mihi nui
Joan Simeon
Chief Executive
ON TRACK Network Research Prioritisation Project - knowledge gap collection
Tēnā koutou katoa,
Anneka and I are part of the ONTRACK research team – please see the attached Flyer or notice below for more information. We really need Māori participation and input on the priorities for future research. Please consider forwarding this on to whānau and kaimahi, if not participating yourselves! And don’t hesitate to contact us if you require more info.
We look forward to a proper catch up in Level 1! Until then
Noho ora mai
Matire and Anneka
We would like to ask for your support in distributing the attached invitations and advertising flyer to your local colleagues and women and whānau.
This invitation is to participate in an on-line questionnaire or video/telephone interview about knowledge gaps in maternal and perinatal health and healthcare. This work is part of the ON TRACK Network Research Prioritisation Project. One of the first steps of the Project is to identify knowledge gaps (a gap in our understanding that needs to be filled by new research) from as large and as wide a group of people with an interest in mothers and babies health. We are therefore seeking contributions from all healthcare professionals, women, partners, caregivers, whānau and other stakeholders with an interest in maternal and perinatal health.
We would be grateful if the attached email invitation to contribute via an on-line questionnaire or by video and telephone call interviews could be sent to colleagues and women and whānau at your ON TRACK site.
We have attached invitation email templates for each audience:
1. Healthcare professionals – please include all obstetricians, midwives, neonatologists/paediatricians, neonatal and paediatric nurses, and other allied healthcare workers in maternal and perinatal health that usually receive ON TRACK Network correspondence.
2. Women and whānau – please send onto any local consumer groups with relevance to maternal and perinatal health.
We would also be grateful for the display of the advertising flyer in maternity and newborn clinic waiting areas and whānau rooms. The Participant Information Sheets are attached for your reference.
Please feel free to contact us if you require further information: c.mossinger@auckland.ac.nz or 022 4311 988
Thank you very much for your support,
Ngā mihi nui,
Clara Mossinger RM MPH
Midwife and PhD student, Liggins Institute, University of Auckland.
Associate Professor Katie Groom
Associate Professor of Maternal and Perinatal Health and Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist, Liggins Institute, University of Auckland.
The University of Auckland Human Participants Ethics Committee approved this study on the 23rd of April 2020 for three years. Reference Number 024469.
Flyer
Invitation to Health Care Professionals
Invitation to Women & Whanau