Auckland surgeons must now consider ethnicity in prioritising patients for operations

Auckland surgeons must now consider ethnicity in prioritising patients for operations - some are not happy

18 Jun, 2023

Auckland surgeons are now required to consider a patient’s ethnicity alongside other factors when deciding who should get an operation first.

Several surgeons say they are upset by the policy, which was introduced in Auckland in February and gave priority to Māori and Pacific Island patients - on the grounds that they have historically had unequal access to healthcare.

Health officials stress that ethnicity is just one of five factors considered in deciding when a person gets surgery, and that it is an important step in addressing poor health outcomes within Māori and Pacific populations.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckla...LADSRR6VTGQWE/