The primary responsibility of the Planning and Funding Division is to plan, fund and purchase health and disability services for the community within the Whanganui region.

These services are:

• Personal Health
• Mental Health
• Maori Health
• Disability Support Services

The division also funds and monitors access to specialist services for the Whanganui district population, where services are delivered by other district health boards. In these core health and disability service areas the Funding and Planning Division’s role is to:

• Determine population health and disability needs
• Develop health improvement and promoting independence strategies
• Ensure service coverage for the resident population
• Allocate district health board funding
• Enter into and manage service contracts
• Monitor service quality and address quality issues

The division is also responsible for district health board planning; for the development of the District Strategic Plan, the District Annual Plan, and a number of service plans in priority areas. The division works closely with other district health boards particularly in the lower North Island, and with District Health Boards New Zealand and the Ministry of Health.