Some positives in Budget 2023

The Digital Health Association is welcoming Budget 2023’s investment in the wider digital space.

“It’s good to see investment in the digital skills and talent pipeline through further funding of the Industry Transformation Plans, and it’s great to see specific investment earmarked for the development of innovation centres, including one for health and wellbeing,” says the chief executive of the Digital Health Association, Ryl Jensen.

“The only concern for us is that there has been no new investment in digital health this year.

"We appreciate there has been previous baseline lift and work programmes are underway, but we would have liked to have seen that momentum continue.”

Digital health includes the use of digital technologies and accessible data to help diagnose and treat health conditions, the software used in medical devices, such as pacemakers, virtual and telehealth, patient management systems, and software such as electronic health records.

It is one of the Government’s six key priorities under Te Pae Tata, New Zealand’s health plan, to help transform the health system and provide more connected care.

It is also highlighted as a key enabler to help ease the pressure this winter in Te Whatu Ora’s winter preparedness plan, released on May 4, by the use of such tools as telehealth and remote patient monitoring, and the development of a rapid national data automation project.

Jensen says the industry’s own Hauora, Mauri Ora: Enabling a Healthier Aotearoa New Zealand report in 2021 specifically urged government to establish a digital health innovation hub.

This Budget has poured $400 million into the establishment of innovation centres and a further $26.5 million into the digital skills and talent pipeline.

The digital health industry wants a seat at the table in the development of these initiatives, Jensen says.

“The digital health sector is a growing and valuable sector in New Zealand, and we must not be left out of the conversation in the innovation and research spaces.” 

Jensen believes New Zealand needs to keep the momentum around investing in digital health which will allow access to more modern and efficient clinical practices and for New Zealanders to have a more complete view of the whole of their health records, enabling them to take more control of their health and wellbeing.

“The potential value digital health technologies can make to both health sector efficiencies and cost savings, and to patient outcomes is enormous.”

Jensen feels government understands the value digital health can add, but she’s afraid other ‘political pressures’ may divert government’s attention from building on the momentum they have created in this space over the last three Budgets.

“If you’re really planning for the long-term future of New Zealand and our health delivery services in particular, you can’t afford to ignore digital health.

“As a country we need to continue to invest in it; it’s a no brainer as to the value it offers.”