Speech – New Zealand Government

Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Capital and Coast District Health Board and Victoria University

Hon Peter Dunne Associate Minister of Health
Signing of Memorandum of Understanding
between Capital and Coast District Health Board
and Victoria University

Tuesday 29 June 2010

I am delighted to be here with you to celebrate the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Capital and Coast District Health Board and Victoria University.

I am particularly happy to be speaking about a Wellington initiative.

The University and the DHB seems an ideal partnership to me.
Both have a passion for learning and research and for making a difference in the world.

I understand the Memorandum of Understanding was signed almost a year ago now
Had we celebrated its signing at that time, I would have been standing here speaking about what the MoU hoped to achieve.

I would have spoken about the importance of developing a collaborative relationship between the University and DHB.

I would have also spoken about how complex the health sector is and how we need to make sure that health education, training and research are closely aligned if we are to get the best results for the health system as a whole and for individual patients and their families.

But, by marking the signing of the MoU now, when we have had time to see it working, I get to speak about what the MoU has already achieved.
In February, the University’s Graduate School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health moved into Wellington Hospital.

This was one of the initiatives specifically mentioned in the MoU.
This move provides an important link between health education, service delivery in a clinical environment and contact with patients and their families.

The MoU has also resulted in the development of a Post-graduate Diploma in Clinical Research, which will be offered online from July.

The Diploma aims to provide clinical researchers with a range of skills.
These skills will be essential in areas such as drug development and clinical trials – key areas of health research internationally.

The area of medicines is a good example of the importance of the type of collaboration between clinicians and researchers you are all striving for.
Medicines play a key role in our health care system.

They are used in hospitals and in the community and I doubt there are any New Zealanders who have not benefited from medicine at some time in their lives
The media is frequently telling us about breakthroughs in developing a new medicine to cure disease or provide a better quality of life.

The efforts of clinicians and researchers, and those who taught them, are crucial to drug development.

Of course, with constant media coverage of health research and the development of new treatments, medicines and technologies, New Zealanders expect a high performing health system.

The question we must grapple with is, how do we provide a high performing health system within the constraints we have.
All of us here today are aware of the constraints on our health system.
Financial constraints are ever present.

The good news though is that it is not always about money. Improvements in the health system as a whole and for individual New Zealanders are often about people joining forces to get a better end result than they could get alone.
This MoU does just that.

How can New Zealand not benefit from health professional education being undertaken alongside cutting edge research?

And let’s not sell ourselves short here.

New Zealand has proven itself to be world class in health research.
And even when the research takes place in some other country, there is often a Kiwi in the mix somewhere!

The MoU’s collaborative approach is reflected across the health sector.
The Minister of Health has established the National Health Board, Health Workforce New Zealand, the IT Board and the Capital Investment Committee to ensure that planning for our health system needs is aligned.

In closing, I just want to reiterate: the success of an MoU depends on the people behind it.

You have made a good start on the success of this one with the projects already under way and those that will be soon.

Keep the momentum going, and enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

ends

Content Sourced from scoop.co.nz
Original url