Budget 2022 invests more than $600m in data and digital health

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth 

Budget 2022 signals investment of more than $600 million in data and digital health projects over the next four years.

This includes; $320 million on ‘health data, digital – foundations and innovation’; $125 million on ‘population health and disease management digital capability’; $10.8 million on the data and digital infrastructure to support the National Public Health Service; and $155 million for the Southern Health System Digital Transformation Programme.

Health Minister Andrew Little says Budget 2022 supports a shift towards a national system backed by modern technology and more secure IT platforms.

“During Covid-19, many Kiwis adapted to using modern health technology, to book their vaccinations and report test results online. The transformation of health IT will allow for better, more accessible digital supports for patients, doctors and nurses.

“It’s also important that wherever you are in the country, medical staff can access your records to make the best decisions for the care you need. That isn’t always possible at the moment, with the 20 DHBs each running different IT systems.

“Joined-up IT platforms will make care delivery and administration easier. This means being able to identify issues earlier and plan accordingly,” Little says.

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The Budget allocates $220 million in operating and $100m in capital funding over the next four years to ‘health data, digital – foundations and innovation’. This builds on Budget 2021 investments and includes funding for Hira tranche two.

“Investment priorities will be aligned to broader New Zealand Health Plan activities and reform objectives,” Budget papers say.

Investments from this contingency will also include; data and intelligence, digital enablement and innovation, and data and digital foundations.

Funding of $125 million will provide ongoing funding to retain selected capability and infrastructure developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and to provide a basis for future population health and disease management digital capability.

“This capability will help transform the delivery of public health programmes including any future pandemic response,” Budget papers say.

As part of the new operating system under the health reforms, a National Public Health Service (PHS) will be established within Health New Zealand

The 2022 Budget sets aside $10.8 million over three years to put in place a common data and digital platform for the delivery of core Public Health Unit functions so that the new PHS can operate as a single, cohesive national service.

It includes funding for a national platform to support a standard operating model and delivery of core Public Health Unit functions, as well as money to “establish access to aggregated, population-level data drawn from primary care data sources for public health surveillance and analysis”.

The Southern Health System Digital Transformation Programme has also been allocated funding of up to $155 million over the next four years ($225 million over 10 years) to deliver the digital infrastructure required for the New Dunedin Hospital, as well as investment in digital solutions that span the whole of the Southern health system.

Digital Health Association (DHA) chief executive Ryl Jensen says New Zealand’s health and disability system increasingly relies on digital technologies and data for healthcare to be delivered.

“We are seeing that the day-to-day effectiveness of our health and disability system is due as much to our use of data and digital technologies, as to medical technologies, drugs and laboratory tests,” she says.

“However, to enable this, we desperately need investment in digital health, and we welcome the funding commitment made by Government today.”

She adds that the DHA wants to see continued investment in this space.

“We are playing catch up due to the disparate way digital health systems have developed, and the antiquated legacy systems we have. Strong investment in health IT must continue to be prioritised if we are to have an Aotearoa New Zealand with a world-leading health and disability system, enabled by digital health.”


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