Our submission period has ended. Thank you to all who shared their stories, thoughts, and ideas.
Hīkoi for Health Health Reform in Aotearoa: A People's Inquiry Phase 1 Complete! Phase 2 Begins...
Our Kaupapa/Mission:
We are two experienced doctors and poets who, like many other New Zealanders, are angered by the failure of successive governments to care for the taonga of our public health system.
We believe it is time for new ways to think about health and healthcare in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
We work in a system that seems to just put band-aids on band-aids. And now the whole mess is peeling off. We know we are not the only ones who are fed up and we’re not cheeky enough to think we have all the answers.
In what we called the Hīkoi for Health: A People’s Inquiry, we have driven 3120 kms around the motu in a refurbished van/ambulance (a ‘vanbulance’ for short) collecting your ideas for improvement. On May 8th on Parliament grounds, we shared some preliminary results from what we've found.
We will hold and store all your stories and in Phase 2 of our project we will review EVERY submission and draw from them common themes and suggestions. In Phase 3 we will attempt, with the help of some of the really amazing people we have met along the way, to craft some ideas for reform that address people's biggest concerns. In Phase 4, we will publish our findings and release them to all of you so that you can comment and help us refine it, so we can begin to use "the people's plan" to hold politicians accountable.
Anger into ACTION
Many of us are frustrated and angry at the state of the public health system. Use that energy by joining us in taking action!
Politics OUT OF Healthcare!
Healthcare decisions should be driven by science and data, healthcare professionals and patients, NOT politics!


Health Reform NOW!
The health system is broken. Just throwing money at it won't work. It CAN and MUST be redesigned intelligently so that we get the care that we need when we need it!
Health BEGINS in the Community
The journey to health shouldn't start in hospitals, EDs, or even GP offices- it should start where people live, work, play, and worship
Four Pou of our Kaupapa:
Who We Are
We are doctor-poets and we have seen first hand the many ways our current health system fails our patients. For us, this inquiry is personal. This journey is a kind of living poem to which we can all contribute.
We are lobbying for for a redesigned New Zealand health system, free from politically motivated interference, and are inviting all to come out and share their stories and ideas for improvement.




"The system is broken beyond repair and is not meeting the needs of patients or healthcare professionals. We must move care out into our communities and focus on disease prevention and early intervention rather than being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff."
Dr Art Nahill
Dr Glenn Colquhoun
"We do not want to simply criticise the health system. We are mainly interested in finding solutions to its problems. We believe that it is time to be innovative and courageous. An important goal of the protest is to stimulate debate and encourage others to offer solutions."
3120 kms later!
Our Itinerary:
Here's the list of the places we stopped on our way from Te Tai Tokerau to Wellington!
* = wheelchair accessible
Day 1 - Saturday, April 26:
Kaitaia: Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa carpark*, 16 Matthews Ave. (opposite Saturday morning markets) 9.30 am - 11.30 am
Kerikeri: James Kemp Hall, 209 Kerikeri Rd, 2 pm - 4 pm
Day 2- Sunday, April 27:
Whangārei: Hihiaua Cultural Centre*, 56-58 Herekino St, 11 am - 1 pm
Day 3- Monday, April 28:
Auckland Central: Cricket Pavilion*, Auckland Domain, 10 am - 12 pm,
South Auckland: Manurewa Marae Health Clinic*: 81 Finlayson Ave. Clendon Park, Manukau City, 2 pm-4 pm
Day 4- Tuesday, April 29:
Hamilton: Te Kohao Health Clinic, 951 Wairere Rd, 12.00 pm - 2.00 pm
Day 5- Wednesday, April 30:
Whakatāne: Knox Presbyterian Church, 83a Domain Rd, 5-7 pm
Day 6- And on the 6th day they rested!
Day 7- Friday, May 2:
Gisborne: Manawaru Cafe*, 675 Childers Rd, Elgin, 11 am-1 pm
Day 8- Saturday, May 3:
Hastings: Flaxmere Community Centre*, 30 Swansea Rd, 10am-12pm
Day 9- A driving day (and some more rest!)
Day 10- Monday, May 5:
New Plymouth: Te Whare Hononga, Taranaki Cathedral, 39 Vivian St, 10 am -12 pm
Whanganui: Moutoa Gardens*, Bates St, 3pm - 5pm
Day 11- Tuesday, May 6:
Palmerston North: The Railway Land Reserve (Skate Park)*, 10am - 12pm
Levin: The Village Green*, Cnr Queen St West and Salisbury St, 2pm - 4pm
Day 12- Preparation for our trip to Wellington- the final push!
Day 13- Thursday, May 8:
Wellington, Parliament grounds*, 1-3 pm
Get Involved!
Phase 1 of our drive for healthcare reform may be over but there are still a few ways you can contribute to the kaupapa. Click below to find out more.
PROTEST. REFORM. CARE.
Te Waka Porotēhe.Te Waka Whakaora.Te Waka Manaaki.
As poets, we're always on the lookout for a good metaphor! And we couldn't pass up repurposing an old tradie van into a fanciful "ambulance" as a metaphor for taking something old and turning it into something new and beautiful. For rushing to the rescue of a gravely ill health system. For turning the current health system, which works like an "ambulance at the bottom of the cliff", providing care to Kiwis when they are already sick or injured, and turning it into one that focuses instead on keeping people and communities healthy.












Further readings/Links
8 Steps Toward a World Class Health System
Dr Art Nahill, Dr Maple Goh NZ Herald, October, 2024


A New Model of Community-Based Care
Dr Art Nahill NZ Herald, September, 2024


The Public-Private Healthcare Divide
Dr Art Nahill NZ Herald, Jan, 2025


Effectiveness of Community Health Workers in the US Annual Review of Public Health, 2023




Maui's Fish: A view of the New Zealand health system from the end of a corridor in a Levin hospital. Dr Glenn Colquhoun, The Spinoff, 2020


Hikoi for Health: a people's inquiry Dr Glenn Colquhoun, Dr Art Nahill 2024
What Does Community-Oriented Primary Care Look Like? Lessons from Costa Rica The Commonwealth Fund, 2021


The effect of primary healthcare on mortality: Evidence from Costa Rica Journal of Health Economics, 2024




Taking the first step toward a long term health plan Dr Ashley Bloomfield, The Post, April 2025


The Corporate Creep...Why It's Not Good for Our Health Dr Renee Liang, North and South, April 2025
Health Reform
Thank you for helping us reshape New Zealand's healthcare system through shared stories and insights from communities across the motu.
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New Zealand, Nationwide
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Thank you for submitting your stories and suggestions to help reform New Zealand's health system. Our submission period is now closed.
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healthreformnz@gmail.com