Building Hope
Today marks the start of a new healthcare system in Aotearoa New Zealand. Te Whatu Ora and Te Aka Whai Ora will work together, leading and managing the delivery of healthcare across the country.
Healthcare delivery, when it's done well is magic. Being on the receiving end of that magic is life-altering. Being able to be your best self while doing that work, makes healthcare a magical place to work.
That magic is dulled and a little lost right now and this change offers potential, opportunities, possibilities and hope.
What am I hoping for?
That the delivery of care happens in the way, place and space that honours the person and their whānau. The inequity that exists and the systemic racism harms people, harms their wairua, and everyone loses out. That the Te Tiriti o Waitangi is truly honoured and that the hope I’ve heard talked about becomes a reality for people who have not been held as they should have been.
That we usher in a change to the way it feels to work in healthcare. That we take that into action, by listening to people doing the work and that their voices are respected. That small daily actions spread into big change and the commitment of those showing up every day is valued in ways that are meaningful to them. Shining the lens on those who deliver the care, rather than the delivery of care is a way to win.
We let loose the boxes and let people shine. A hierarchical system has its limitations, in our complex environment, we need structure and freedom. Let’s embrace those contradictions and tensions. Can we unlock the potential in each and everyone who wants to serve in our healthcare system? Can we create the spaces, places and ways for people to be their best selves, in a safe space, to be creative and innovative, to test and try? If we can, we’ll learn new ways to meet the ever-changing and demanding pressures that a modern healthcare system faces.
While we are doing this, we’ll be building a culture where everyone feels they can belong. A sense of belonging is one of the key foundations of transformation. We need all people, all voices, to feel they have a place where they are using their strengths, making a difference and contributing to that clear and shared purpose. Working together is a theme that many of the leaders mention,
Lastly, I’m hoping that there will be courage. Courage to lean into the tough days, the days when we don’t hear what we want to hear, or when the issues outweigh the positive. That we'll have the courage to be there, face those moments and people. Courage to get it wrong, fall down, and get back up and try again. Courage to let go of the ways of working that have served us for so long but don’t serve our communities. Courage to admit we’re not right for the job. Courage to listen to someone we disagree with, courage to try something new, something scary. Courage to admit we were wrong and to say sorry. Courage to not ignore the behaviours that don’t belong and to address them with compassion.
