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May 21, 2015
Commissioning agencies win control of navigator putea
Waatea Team
Posted On May 21, 2015
A battle over funding Whanau Ora navigators has been resolved with operating funding of $49.8 million over the next four years to be directed through the three Whanau Ora commissioning agencies.
Money for navigators, who as brokers for whanau in their dealings with government agencies and support them to achieve their goals, had been uncertain, leading to some providers having to lay off staff.
Whanau Ora Minister Te Ururoa Flavell says the funding in today's Budget will be enough for about 230 navigators,
He says a new Health Ministry study had found about 60 per cent of patients enrolled in a sample of Whanau Ora general practices are high needs patients, compared with only a quarter of patients in a national sample.
On a measure of 11 health indicators, the Whanau Ora sample performed the same as or better in eight of the 11 indicators, despite having a large proportion of high needs patients.
The greatest improvements to the end of 2014 were in cardiovascular disease, smoking cessation and diabetes patient review.
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