Te Pukaea is Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB)’s consumer governance oversight group.

The name ‘Te Pukaea’ was gifted by Kaumātua John Maihi and means ‘trumpet carrying the voice of the people’. It is a 10 member group that meets about once a month to provide advice to WDHB from a patient and whānau view.

Consumer engagement covers:

•  individuals receiving direct care
• whānau and carers who support an individual
• groups of consumers and their organisations who often have an advocacy role.

Te Pukaea’s key purpose is to enhance consumer leadership and engagement and therefore the patient/whānau experience of health services by working collaboratively with WDHB governance and leadership, bringing the consumer voice to the design and function of equitable, effective whānau/patient-centred health services in the WDHB rohe.

Te Pukaea is primarily focused on:

• the achievement and demonstration of equity in health outcomes as set out in He Hāpori Ora and the DHB’s pro-equity strategic focus  
• providing consumer leadership to WDHB
• supporting safe services, quality improvement and providing advice to encourage and achieve best practice and innovation for WDHB
• providing a strong, representative and viable voice for the consumers and their whānau on health service planning and delivery.

Throughout its work, Te Pukaea will recognise and honour WDHB’s obligation to Iwi and Māori in line with the five principles outlined in He Hāpori Ora:

• Guarantee of Tino Rangatiratanga
• Equity
• Active Protection
• Options
• Partnership.

It is recognised that a group of 10 people cannot directly represent the full diversity of the rohe, however the members are expected to be aware of and a voice for all including:

• Māori health
• Pacific health, Asian and other cultures, including recent immigrant health
• Maternal, child and youth health
• Older persons’ health
• Women’s health, Men’s health, Transgender health
• People with Long-term conditions
• Mental health, Alcohol and other drugs
• Disability
• Rural health, primary and community health
• Other high deprivation populations.

The work of Te Pukaea is underpinned by He Hāpori Ora Thriving Communities (link) and the organisation’s values. Members of Te Pukaea are expected to uphold the values and be culturally safe in how they work and what they do.

Read more

• Terms of reference 
• He Hāpori Ora Thriving Communities stragegy