Serau, the Pacific Provider and Workforce Development Funding Plan 2009-20011 has been completed.
Dr Api Talemaitoga, Ministry of Health
Serau aims to ensure that Pacific providers continue to develop, reaching high standards of business and clinical excellence. The goal is to develop Pacific providers to the point where, as high-performing, self-sustaining businesses, they are eligible for mainstream funding.
Since 2002, the number of Pacific providers has grown from 14 to 37, covering a wide range of health and social services. Serau (a Fijian term meaning ‘source of light and illumination’) celebrates the growth of the sector and sets fresh priorities to strengthen its impact on Pacific health outcomes.
The report reaffirms the Ministry’s commitment to developing the capability of Pacific providers so that Pacific peoples have a choice of health provider who speaks their language, reflects their culture and offers Pacific models of care.
The PPWDF will now have a much stronger emphasis on workforce development and quality. Four million dollars has been allocated for getting ‘ the right Pacific people with the right skills in the right places’.
This means encouraging Pacific secondary students into health careers, modelling career pathways for Pacific health professionals and addressing skills priorities in medicine, nursing, oral health and allied health professions.
Strengthening the quality of Pacific providers to deliver quality health services is another focus of the PPWDF. $3.4 million will be spent to increase the range of services Pacific providers offer in primary health care and to improve their quality of care and value for money. There will also be a drive towards greater innovation and sharing of best practice within the sector.
The funding model is also changing. Funds were previously distributed by the country’s 21 DHBs. Now all the funding will be administered by the Pacific Innovations team at the Ministry of health.
“We want to strengthen links with providers so we can share innovation and best practice and make the sort of progress our communities expect,” says Api Talemaitoga, chief advisor, Pacific health (below).
“We are wanting to see regional cooperation of providers so thatfunding is used across DHB boundaries for services to Pacific populations.”
“We need to strengthen the providers we’ve got and have them provide a ‘wrap-around’ service. That’s the big difference in the new purchasing plan.”
Funding Application Details
Application forms and information about applying for PPDF will be available from the Ministry’s website.
Templates to assist with reporting on progress and business planning support material will also be available from the Ministry website.
