Health Matters - Framing the full story of health

As we head into next month’s election, ASMS is excited to be releasing a new report - Health Matters – Framing the full story of health.

While ASMS works towards safe and sustainable work for senior doctors and dentists, like you, we also want to see New Zealanders getting the best care possible.

Part of that is about how hospitals and services run, but well before you see many of your patients, they are being placed in the unenviable position of having to make their own ‘least bad care’ decisions between things like rent or food, one minimum wage job or two, petrol or shoes for the kids. The solutions to keeping people healthy and off waiting lists, are often found outside the health system.

To improve health outcomes in Aotearoa and relieve mounting pressures on services, we must target growing inequities. That’s why we’ve written Health Matters. Little if any of the data it contains will be new to you, but we hope some of its recommendations will provoke better national conversations about health, and send a strong message about long-term cross-party political commitment around health policy.

You can also read our press release on the report’s release A Minister and Ministry of Public Wellbeing is the medicine we need.

Please share the report with others in your workplaces.

ASMS 32nd Annual Conference

We are still taking registrations for the ASMS Annual Conference on 26-27 November at Te Papa in Wellington, but places are now very limited.  Once registrations for each branch exceeds the agreed delegate numbers, your registration may have to be provisional for a period of time. 

We would like to have as many of you as possible at the conference, but have to ensure fair branch representation for our formal AGM decision-making processes.

The closing date for registering (subject to available places), will be Friday 23 October. Go here to find out more. 

Also please note there will be a webinar option for the conference as well. We’ll be sending out details about that closer to the time.

The Specialist

I hope you have seen our latest edition of The Specialist.  You can read about our doctors who are walking the talk on sustainability, find out how the political parties line up on health and learn more about the work and lives of some of our members. Read it or share it online here. Remember if you no longer want to receive a hard copy of the magazine, please let us know by emailing asms@asms.org.nz

I’ve been enjoying catching up with so many of you during the recent JCCs around the country.  We are about half way through this third and final round. You can find the dates for the remaining ones here.  We'd love to see you. 

Ngā mihi

Sarah Dalton
Executive Director