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Hīkoi 4 Health Health Reform in Aotearoa: A People's Inquiry
We are 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.
In what we called the Hīkoi for Health: A People’s Inquiry, we drove 3120 kms around the motu in a refurbished van/ambulance (a ‘vanbulance’ for short) collecting your stories and ideas for improvement.
In the final phase we published our findings, alongside the release of a documentary film by team member Ōriwa Hakaraia, to encourage debate and stimulate even more ideas. We retraced the route of our original hīkoi and delivered over 500 free copies of our book to the communities that hosted us including a copy for every MP in Parliament!
Our book is now available!
'If you read no other treatise on Aotearoa New Zealand's public health system this year (or next) read Rethinking Health'.
-Sue Claridge, Auckland Women's Health Council
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'The art and craft of presenting qualitative evidence in a way that's powerful and telling, technically competent yet maintains the humanity is a real skill and you've done a great job. Bloody good job.'
-Bill Ryan, Adjunct Professor, School of Government, VUW
Watch the documentary film by team member Oriwa Hakaraia about our first hīkoi, featuring the voices of many community members we met along the way!
Our Hīkoi has arrived!
On September 30th, 2026 the hīkoi arrived at Parliament with a free book for every MP
Mihi to Green MP Lan Pham for accepting our koha on behalf of her colleagues from all political parties
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."
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.
Location
New Zealand, Nationwide
Contact Us
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