The Government's latest strategy to tackle inequities in the health sector has been dubbed "repetitive" of past aspirations by former Te Whatu Ora Health boss Rob Campbell.
On Wednesday, the Government announced its latest strategies to focus on problems in the health sector this time to tackle inequities
The Pae Ora, Healthy Futures Strategies details the long-term vision to deliver better health outcomes for groups currently faring worse in the system, such as Māori and Pacific peoples, those with disabilities, women and rural residents.
Campbell spent most of Wednesday night reading the lengthy document and told AM it was "very long on aspiration" and "very repetitive of earlier documents of this kind".
The former health boss said while someone has "spent a lot of time" getting the "aspirations" on paper, those on the frontline will "wonder what it had to do with you".
Campbell believed there was "nothing new" in the document and said it wasn't a strategy on how it will tackle inequities in the system.
"The strategy is about what you're going to do to achieve your aspirations. This is just a repetition of the aspirations."
Campbell told AM "the real issue" Aotearoa's health system is facing right now is getting the basics working properly.
He said the issues have been forced by a long time of underfunding and what he described as poor leadership from the Ministry of Health.
"[The Ministry of Health] has been in charge for a long time. It's had bad data for a long time. It's had inadequate resources for a long time. It's had misalignment for strategy around the country for a long time," Campbell said. "And yet they're still just repeating the same mantras about change."
Campbell said if anything needs to be reviewed it should be the Ministry of Health.
"I'm not going to propose another review, there's plenty of those. But what needs to happen is the people within the system who have practical things they need done today or next week need to be listened to."
Campbell said Health Minister Ayesha Verrall should put the document "in a file on the wall and get on with doing what really needs to be done".
The Ministry of Health has been contacted for a response to Campbell's comments.
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