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Allied Health Aotearoa New Zealand is ready for 2026

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:25:51 GMT

AHANZ AGM 25 March 2026 - Members & Guests

Allied Health Aotearoa New Zealand is ready for 2026!

The AHANZ AGM took place on the 25th of March, and the energy was high.

New Leadership

Executive Board of Directors confirmed

Dr Jane George, Alison Molloy, Shelley Moana Hiha, Robin Kerr, Liz McNamara and your friend here!

Cultural Insight

Shelley Moana Hiha shared a moving session on the importance and meaning of Karakia in our daily mahi.

Political Strategy

Insightful kōrero from Gareth Jones (CEO, Ngā Pou Mana) on the upcoming election

We also had important updates from Chief Allied Health Professions Officer Martin Chadwick.

As we look toward the 2026 General Election, our focus remains sharp, better visibility, equitable access, and a health system that values prevention and holistic wellbeing.

Proud to be part of this 40,000 + strong workforce!

#AHANZ #AlliedHealth #NZPolitics #WorkforcePlanning #TeAoMaori #HealthcareInnovation

Ngā Pou Mana Allied Health Aotearoa New Massage Aotearoa New Zealand Ngā Pou Mana

Reflections on family and care during the holiday season

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 21:17:59 GMT

By AHANZ co-Chair, Orquidea Tamayo Mortera, MNZM

The holiday season often brings a sense of peace and renewal, yet for those who care for ageing loved ones, it transforms into a profound journey of the heart. Last Christmas, I travelled back to Mexico, not just for celebration, but to stand beside my mother, finding courage as she faces new mobility limitations; my father, whose wisdom deepens as the years pass; and my Nana, who bravely embraces the changes of her mind with grace.

Amidst challenges and shifting realities, the Allied Health workforce shone as a beacon of hope. Their expertise, compassion, and unwavering presence transformed uncertainty into possibility, reminding us that healing is not just about medicine, but about dignity and connection.

In Mexico, care and support are a vibrant tapestry, woven from threads of science and spirit, tradition and innovation. Caregivers honour the whole person, body, mind, soul, spirit, embracing every story, every memory, and every aspiration. I witnessed practitioners blending wisdom from ancient roots with the precision of modern practice, revealing that true health care radiates from respect, love, and understanding.

A physical therapist looks beyond muscles, seeing the spirit’s yearning to dance. A cognitive specialist listens not only for answers, but for the echoes of ancestral tales and lived wisdom. In this holistic approach, care becomes a celebration of life, a reverence for those who came before and those who will come after.

As a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, I have seen that blending scientific knowledge with cultural and spiritual understanding dignifies every moment. By honouring indigenous perspectives, care and support teams uplift elders, recognising them as the keepers of wisdom. Even as bodies change, their stories and strengths shine, inspiring us to see ageing as a gift and elders as treasures to be cherished.

As a MexiKiwi, I celebrate the powerful connection between Mexico’s ‘El Buen Vivir – Good living and Dying’ and New Zealand’s Hauora and indigenous models like Fonofale, Te Wheke, and Te Whare Tapa Whā. Both cultures remind us that health is not measured in deficits, but in strengths, preferences, abilities, and the courage to lead our own journeys. They teach us that care and support is about empowering people to write their own stories, to choose their own paths, and to be honoured for all they are.

Witnessing the work of allied health professionals in Mexico, whether in the heartbeat of the city or the quiet landscapes of rural communities, revealed a universal truth. Across both Mexico and Aotearoa New Zealand, the aim is unwavering: to restore agency, provide comfort, and celebrate every life story. This is the essence of care, united by compassion, strengthened by diversity, and illuminated by love.

Returning to New Zealand, I am filled with gratitude for my heritage and renewed passion for holistic care. The most impactful support comes when science and spirit walk hand in hand. Caring for our elders with dignity is not just a duty, but a sacred act, echoing the Mexican proverb: amor con amor se paga, love is repaid with love. Let us cherish those who paved the way and honour them with hearts full of compassion.

“Our members restore joy”

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 21:13:04 GMT

Allied health pay equity settlement a “step in the right direction”

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 20:53:16 GMT

Help us amplify our advocacy message

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 20:34:17 GMT

AHANZ commits to a health system that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ensuring Māori have the agency to lead their own health journeys and receive care and support that is culturally safe and effective.

We also feel strongly that New Zealanders deserve a health system that does not simply respond to illness, but actively enables wellness. Yet our system is under sustained pressure. Too many people are waiting too long for the care and support they need. As such, the system risks failing its Tiriti obligations, including Tino Rangatiratanga, Oritetanga, Active Protection, Options and Partnership.

We believe much of this ‘system pressure’ and the associated risks are preventable - and that allied health is central to the solution.

Every day, allied health professionals across Aotearoa support children to thrive, help workers safely return to employment, enable older people to live independently, and strengthen whānau and communities. From urban centres to remote rural settings, allied health keeps people well, active and connected.

But, as well know, allied health remains an under-recognised and under-funded resource in policy and commissioning decisions.

Our Election 2026 Manifesto , which is going to all relevant MPs and policy makers, brings together four clear advocacy commitments . Together, they call for a prevention-focused system, equitable access to allied health services, meaningful workforce planning and data visibility, and genuine partnership in policy design and delivery.

Over the coming months, as we ramp up our advocacy, we encourage members to:

Engage locally with MPs and candidates — share the four AHANZ messages and demonstrate the impact of allied health in your communities.
Amplify the narrative — use your channels to highlight prevention, equity and workforce solutions in action.
Collaborate across the sector — align messaging and reinforce a unified allied health voice.

AHANZ will provide supporting advocacy materials to assist you in these conversations. Together, we can ensure allied health is recognised, resourced and embedded in the future of health in Aotearoa.

Call for case studies to bring our advocacy to life

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 20:20:39 GMT

In this newsletter’s editorial, we highlighted the importance of a strong, united allied health voice as we head toward the 2026 election. Our four AHANZ advocacy policy positions and our Election 2026 Manifesto set out clear solutions for a prevention-focused, equitable, well-planned and visible allied health contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand’s health system.

Now, we need your help to bring those messages to life.

Policy arguments are strengthened by real-world stories. Decision-makers respond to evidence — but they are moved by examples that show the human impact of system gaps and the practical solutions already working in communities.

We are seeking case studies from member organisations that highlight:

Prevention in action – where early allied health intervention has reduced hospital demand, improved recovery, or prevented escalation of need.
Equity and Te Tiriti in practice – examples demonstrating culturally responsive models, improved access for Māori, Pacific, rural or underserved communities, or partnerships that uphold Tiriti principles.
Workforce challenges and solutions – recruitment gaps, service shortages, innovative role design, or transferable skills supporting broader system pressures.
Data, visibility and integration issues – where lack of interoperable systems, incomplete data, or funding silos create barriers. And where better information has improved outcomes.

We are interested in stories that illustrate problems, unmet need, and system fragmentation, plus examples of effective, scalable solutions.

AHANZ will use selected case studies to support meetings with political Parties, briefing papers, media engagement and wider advocacy activities throughout this election year.

If you have a case study to share - large or small - please email a brief outline to admin@alliedhealth.org.nz .

Together, we can ensure that allied health is not only heard in policy debates, but clearly seen, understood and valued.

Aged Care Association Symposium 2026

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 21:59:57 GMT

Aged Care Symposium 2026

Unlocking Change invites everyone in the sector, whether you’re on your first day or your fifteenth year, to share insights, spark new thinking, and help shape solutions that strengthen practice, teamwork, and resident experience. This symposium will foster opportunities to build confidence, explore possibilities, and recognise the collective wisdom that grows when we learn from one another.

When we champion impact, influence others, and have the courage to ask, we unlock powerful drivers of progress. And while the answer might sometimes be “no,” believing in your idea, and being willing to knock on more than one door, can be the beginning of real, lasting change.

Location, date and venue

Location: Nelson

Date: Friday 24 April, 8.30am – 4.30pm

Venue: Trafalgar Centre Northern Extension

Costs: $350 per person
Open to all RN’s, Clinical Managers and anyone in support and allied health roles.

Unlocking Change
Championing Impact, Influencing Others, and the Courage to Ask

In aged residential care, positive change often begins with a single question or a small idea, yet many of these ideas stay unspoken or remain as passing conversations.

Location, date and venue

Location: Nelson

Date: Friday 24 April, 8.30am – 4.30pm

Venue: Trafalgar Centre Northern Extension

Costs: $350 per person
Open to all RN’s, Clinical Managers and anyone in support and allied health roles.

Collaborative AOTEAROA - fostering health and hauora equity for all people within Aotearoa, New Zealand

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 22:01:25 GMT

Upcoming events of interest

Collaborative Aotearoa is a national network committed to strengthening primary and community health through connection, modernisation, and equity.

Their kaupapa is focused on bringing people together to share knowledge, co-design solutions, and champion models of care that truly make a difference for whānau and primary care professionals across Aotearoa.

Their upcoming Collaborative Aotearoa 2026 Conference will be held on 27–28 March 2026 at Papa Hou, Christchurch Central. This two-day event is an inspiring opportunity for in-person kōrero, connection, and shared learning across the health sector.

What to expect:

Keynote speakers exploring the future of primary care, equity, leadership, and digital innovation.
Breakout sessions focused on innovative and inspiring projects that improve models of care.
Whanaungatanga Dinner on Friday evening, a chance to connect and celebrate together.
Voices from across Aotearoa, including clinicians, researchers, health kaimahi, and lived experience advocates.

The theme, Modernising Primary Health: Models of care that make a difference, reflects their commitment to models of care that are inclusive, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of whānau. Whether you’re passionate about equity, digital health, or collaborative practice, this conference is for you.

Join them and be part of this kaupapa! Get Tickets Here For more information about the mahi they do, follow them on LinkedIn.

Rotorua GPCME 2026!

Rotorua GPCME meeting is a national GP event and will attract a total of 700-800 practitioners and speakers - 250-280 RNs, 30-50 Practice Managers and 20 Allied Health Professionals. The meeting is known for its short, sharp and to the point clinical content.

It’s being held at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre from June 11 to 14. Event details and registration are available here .

New reports highlight experiences of disabled New Zealanders living with cancer

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:49:22 GMT

The Cancer Control Agency has just released two significant reports highlighting the experiences of disabled people with cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand:

Both reports are now available in a range of formats on the Agency’s website . Together these reports provide important new evidence to inform and improve cancer care for disabled people and their whānau.

The literature review summarises international and local research, highlighting barriers disabled people face in accessing cancer care and pinpointing areas where more research is needed.

The diagnosis insights report analyses cancer rates among disabled adults in New Zealand (2018–2022). It shows higher diagnosis rates for disabled people across all demographics analysed when compared to the total population.

Diagnosis rates were also analysed for four specific cancers (breast, bowel, lung and prostate cancer). There are significantly higher rates for lung cancer among disabled people, and higher rates for breast and bowel cancer as well.

With 17 per cent of people in New Zealand identified as disabled, these reports are another key tool in addressing inequities and informing better cancer care for all.

AHANZ Administration role changes hands

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:44:48 GMT

As some members will know, we have farewelled our previous Executive Administrator, Nikky Winchester, and welcome as her successor, Pauline Downie.

On behalf of all our members, we want to thank Nikky for her long-serving contribution to AHANZ and wish her well for the future.

Pauline is contactable at admin@alliedhealth.org.nz .

Member feedback guides strategic planning

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:43:28 GMT

A huge thank you to everyone who jumped into the 2025 AHANZ Member Survey. We know you’re busy humans, so the time you gave us has been incredibly valuable. Your responses have given the Executive a really clear, grounded picture of what you want AHANZ to keep doing, and where you’d like us to lift our game as we shape our 2026–2028 Strategic Plan and step up advocacy ahead of the 2026 General Election.

Many of you will have already seen or heard snippets of this feedback through conversations and recent meetings. What matters now is that we’re using it to guide the next phase of our work, so your voices are right at the centre of our planning.

As co-Chair Alison Molloy puts it: “This survey has confirmed what we’ve been sensing across the sector; allied health is ready for a stronger, clearer national voice, and AHANZ is here to help make that happen.”

She added: “We’re genuinely grateful for the honesty in the feedback. It’s given us practical direction, not just high-level wishes.”

Here are the key recommendations you told us to prioritise:

Short-term (next 0–3 months)

Make member meetings shorter (no more than two hours) and schedule them at more workable times.
Create a simple orientation pack for new reps.
Set up easy ways to contribute between meetings (e.g., quick online surveys or a monthly virtual policy clinic).
Prepare an initial ministerial briefing pack setting out our four strategic priorities.

Medium-term (6–12 months)

Develop a strong position paper on HPCA Act regulation, protection of professional titles, and fair recognition of smaller professions.
Build an explicit Māori equity plan that embeds Te Tiriti commitments throughout our strategy.
Lift AHANZ’s public profile with regular updates, media engagement, and proactive ministerial briefings.

Longer-term (12–24 months)

Support digital health/data pilot projects that show allied health impact.
Grow the economic and prevention evidence base to strengthen our case with government.

Thanks again for backing AHANZ with your insight and your time. We’ll keep sharing progress as we turn these recommendations into real-world action.

Govt targets without transformation: Why allied health must be part of the health policy conversation

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:41:20 GMT

The Government has been promoting its updated set of health targets - faster ED wait times, quicker cancer treatment, shorter GP appointments, improved ambulance response times.

“There targets matter, of course,” AHANZ Co-Chair Robin Kerr says. “But they’re all measures of what happens once people are already unwell enough to need hospitals, EDs or urgent primary care. They tell us nothing about how we stop people reaching that point in the first place.”

Robin says the continued emphasis on acute and secondary care is a missed opportunity, and one on which AHANZ is focusing its advocacy strategy. The Hidden in Plain Sight report and our recent advocacy papers make it clear the country can’t fix hospital pressure without strengthening community-based prevention, early intervention, and rehabilitation.

Robin says AHANZ wants to see a shift toward “targets that measure wellness, not just illness.”

“We’re not saying the current targets are wrong,” Robin says. “We’re saying they’re incomplete - if they only measure hospital-level performance, the system will only invest in hospital-level solutions.”

With the election approaching, Robin says AHANZ is also watching closely for the Labour Party’s yet-to-be-released health policy.

“Our message to Labour is simple: make allied health visible. Build us into your prevention strategy, your workforce planning, your community care models, your data systems. We are ready to be part of the solution, but you have to put us in the frame.”

As advocacy ramps up, AHANZ’s position is clear: if New Zealand wants fewer people turning up at ED, it needs to invest in the people who prevent those visits in the first place.

“The system needs what allied health can offer.”

Advocacy with purpose: AHANZ steps up for allied health ahead of election

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:40:32 GMT

As the election clock ticks down, Allied Health Aotearoa New Zealand is putting the needs, expertise, and potential of the allied health workforce squarely in front of our political decision-makers.

AHANZ has developed a suite of four focused policy papers that together set out a simple message: allied health is essential to delivering a strong, equitable, community-based health system — and the next Government must enable that.

Those policy papers - on joined-up community care, prevention, visibility, and reaching everyone, everywhere – are the backbone of AHANZ’s election advocacy.

They now form the basis of a manifesto document that AHANZ will send to all the Parties, urging them to include our recommendations into their own health policies.

AHANZ Executive Committee member, Alison Molloy, says the papers and the manifesto reflect what members have been telling AHANZ. “We have the workforce, the capability, and the evidence. What we’ve lacked is appropriate system design. These papers make that case clearly and powerfully.”

1. Joined-up, community-based care spells out how the allied health workforce can relieve pressure on GPs and hospitals, and why Tier 1 care must be team-based and locally delivered.

2. Prevention first highlights that preventable conditions are driving unsustainable demand. Allied health can address that, but people can’t access services that are unfunded and unaffordable.

3. Better information and visibility is AHANZ calling for proper reporting, shared digital systems, and visibility in workforce planning.

4. Reaching everyone, everywhere reinforces equity as the defining challenge.

Alison puts it simply: “We understand this Government is mostly focused on health targets as they relate to hospitals and EDs. But we still need to advocate strongly for allied health and the role we can play, and the value we bring."

We want to use every possible opportunity to push for a future where allied health is finally recognised as the engine room of a modern, accessible, prevention-centred health system.

What a year!

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:37:26 GMT

Message from the Co-Chairs

Kia ora koutou,

As you’ll see, we have done a bit of work on the newsletter to make it more informative and readable, and we will continue to work on this over the next couple of iterations. Any feedback would be appreciated.

As we approach the end of what has been an exceptionally busy year, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the changes that have occurred. It has been a year marked by adaptation, and resilience, and we want to say thank you to our Executive Committee colleagues who have provided a significant amount of their voluntary time to help us achieve the changes that have occurred this year.

As we head into the holiday season, we hope each of you finds time to rest and recharge, enjoying a well-deserved break with friends and whānau. Thank you for your continued support, and here’s to a bright and positive year ahead.

Ngā mihi nui,

Orquidea and Robin
Co-Chairs