Ros Pochin, Chair of the Aotearoa New Zealand National Committee, wrote to the Chief Clinical Officer at Te Whatu Ora saying “We welcome Te Whatu Ora's commitment to enhancing clinical leadership, but the current proposal risks undermining the quality of care and patient outcomes, especially in our rural communities. We need a robust, evidence-based plan that includes medical expertise at every stage of the design process, not a rushed decision that could have far-reaching negative consequences.”
RACS recommended suspending the decision process until a better case for change is developed. Doctors need to be involved at all stages of designing a new clinical leadership structure as some critical decisions require medical expertise and professional attention that may not be apparent from an operational perspective. Any new structure needs explicit mandatory quality and safety standards and guardrails to ensure sustained quality of care, with patient safety considered at every step of the change management process.
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