Shared Purpose
A visual record of the conversations, ideas, and people who came together to shape the future of health in Aotearoa.
NZWIM FUTURE OF HEALTH FORUM · 27 MARCH 2026
Welcome & Purpose
The NZWIM Future of Health Forum brought together over 80 members - clinicians, policymakers, academics, economists, advocates, and those with lived experience of our health system.
At the centre of this conversation is a shared recognition that New Zealand needs a long-term, bipartisan approach to health: a vision protected from shifting political winds, anchored instead in agreed goals for the health and wellbeing of our population. The aim of the day was not to produce a final strategy, but to define the principles that will guide this future.
"What is possible, and what are we prepared to do, together?
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Keynote address
Keynote speaker Sir Ashley Bloomfield set the tone for the day. At the heart of his message was the need for a 10-year horizon that provides stability, direction, and continuity, rather than a plan shaped by electoral cycles. Health is inherently political: decisions about funding, prioritisation, and access are ultimately decisions about values as a country.
"The need is not for another strategy, but for authenticity and clarity of direction - to 'start with the data,' acknowledge complexity, and place a stake in the ground about where we want to be."
Hindsight, foresight, insights
Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall reflected on the evolving challenges facing Aotearoa's health system. Addressing this will require a fundamental reorientation: away from treating disease and towards keeping people well. That shift demands not just a greater emphasis on prevention, but a reframing of how success is measured - moving away from hospital throughput and towards meaningful indicators of population wellness.
"Health outcomes are shaped by housing, food systems, education, and income. Coordinated, cross-sector action must become the norm - 'health in all policies.'"
Working Group: Blue Sky / Black Sky Visioning
Working in ten small, facilitated groups, participants asked: what could the future of Aotearoa's health system look like, at its very best - and at its worst?
BLUE SKY
A system grounded in equity, where access to care is universal and not determined by geography, ethnicity, or income. Care is continuous, culturally appropriate, and delivered close to home, supported by a valued and sustainable workforce drawn from the communities it serves.
BLACK SKY
A fragmented, privatised, two-tier system where access depends on ability to pay. Widening inequities, workforce collapse, loss of trust, and a shift toward hospital-centric, reactive care, with communities disconnected and preventable suffering increasing.
A Call To Action
The challenge is not one of vision, but of implementation and power structures. Funding continues to favour treatment over prevention, short-term political cycles shape long-term decisions, and accountability is opaque. In this context, doing nothing is not neutral.
For those in the room on 27 March, the final question remains: What are we prepared to do, within our own organisations and spheres of influence, to move this forward?