Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMDHB) was established on 1 January 2001 under the provisions of the New Zealand Public Health & Disability Act 2000 (NZPH&D Act). CMDHB is responsible for the funding of health and disability services and for the provision of hospital and related services for the people of Counties Manukau (Manukau City, and Franklin and Papakura Districts) as set out in the DHB functions and objectives in the Act.
Section 38 of the NZPH&D Act requires each DHB to develop a District Strategic Plan. The District Strategic Plan outlines how the DHB will fulfil its objectives and functions over the next 5 to 10 years and must consider:
- the health status of the community
- the needs of the community for health services
- the expected impact of health services on improving health outcomes
- the overall direction set out in the New Zealand Health and Disability Strategies.
The DHB’s role is a complex one, and the District Strategic Plan is a good mechanism for ensuring the DHB considers the desired longer term health outcomes for its community, the medium term programmes and initiatives that will contribute to achieving those outcomes, and the short term activities that are part of the DHB’s daily operations.