Access to Healthcare Advocates Aotearoa is a group of health care professionals and community members, united in the purpose of advocating for better and equitable access to publicly provided health care services for New Zealanders.

Initially, the group was primarily concerned with difficulties in accessing publicly funded colonoscopy services in the Southern DHB region. Despite three successive reviews which each found that patients had suffered harm as a result of restricted access to colonoscopy, the 'patient voice' has never been facilitated. We do not even know how many patients suffered harm as a result of failing to gain access to needed colonoscopy. We continue to advocate for a public inquiry into this service’s failings, in the hope that harmed patients will be fully acknowledged and that such failure is prevented from happening again in the future.

Over time it has become apparent that access issues exist for other health services too, across New Zealand. 

All who work in the system deserve better.

We acknowledge the many working within our publicly funded health care system, whose efforts make a positive difference to the lives and wellbeing of many New Zealanders. They continue to provide high quality services despite the health system having being underfunded, under staffed, and poorly planned for several decades. The system requires greater investment and sensible reorganisation.

Patients deserve better.

We believe the current health system is leaving too many New Zealanders behind, forcing them to live with pain, disability, loss of independence, isolation, and distress for the want of services that meet their needs. 

Until now, in New Zealand, there has been no opportunity for patients and families to relate their experiences with the system, or to have confidence that these experiences will guide meaningful change.

It is our aim to provide a safe place for patients to relate the problems they, or their family members, have experienced in gaining access to the services they have needed, and to advocate for change, transparency, and accountability from the health system. 

You can help.

Help us build data for change by taking our survey of unmet need.  Assist us with costs by making a donation, however small.  Check back to see what our data reveals and what we are doing to help create the change we all need.