Ministry for Health (New Zealand)

Overview

The Ministry for Health (New Zealand) works upon the New Zealand Health Strategy. One of the fundamental principles of the Health Strategy is an acknowledgement of the importance of community engagement and consultation on health services to ensure quality decision-making and policy development in health.

Informed consultation also helps the Ministry of Health to:

• Provide opportunities (geographical, professional and communities with common interests) to participate in the development of policy, strategic decisions and to test new ideas
• Enhance decision-making by receiving information, opinions, ideas and feedback from communities about their different needs and priorities,
• Build positive relationships with consumers, providers and the wider community; and
• Encourage community ownership and support of decisions made to minimise the potential for embarrassing and costly legal challenges to decisions that are made.

Ministry for Health also takes advantage of Dialogue for the Manatū Hauora's Digital Engagement Forum.