The Waitangi Tribunal has found that Crown has breached the Treaty of Waitangi by failing to design and administer the current primary health care system to actively address persistent Māori health inequities.

Stage one of its Hauora Report on health services and outcomes looks at the ways the primary health care system has been legislated, administered, funded and held to account by the Crown since the passing of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000.

While Māori saw great potential in the reforms, all parties in the stage one inquiry, including the Crown, acknowledged Māori continue to experience the worst health outcomes of any population group in New Zealand.

The Tribunal found that’s because the crown failed to commit to achieving equity of health outcomes for Māori, failed to properly fund the primary health care sector to fund that objective, and failed to target funding where it is needed most.

There were few mechanisms in place to ensure accountability, and Māori have little decision-making authority and influence when it comes to the design and delivery of primary health care services.

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