Diversity
Policy
We celebrate New Zealand's diversity and are committed to creating an environment where all patients, whānau, staff, and and visitors feel acknowledged, respected, and welcomed.
Supporting diversity is a key part of our pursuit of equitable health outcomes for every patient, including Māori as tangata whenua.
See also Achieving Equity. For our strategy for reducing Māori health inequity, see Māori Health Equity.
Diversity is anything that can be used to differentiate groups and people from each other. Diversity takes many forms and can be:
visibleDiversity within our community
Describe the diversity of your practice population, e.g. Māori, other ethnicities, LGBTQIA+, former refugees, socio-economic status, etc.
Of our practice population, 38% are Māori, 8% are Pasifika, and a significant number of patients are refugees.
We support and embrace the diversity within our community by:
- respecting and valuing the differences between people
- taking all reasonable steps to eliminate racism, bias, or any other forms of discrimination within our environment
- using people's preferred name, gender, and pronouns
- not making assumptions about people – ask respectfully for information you need
- conveying information to people in ways they understand and can engage with
- training our team in cultural competency and cultural safety and ensuring they are knowledgeable about the different groups in our community.
See also Cultural Safety.
We regularly audit ethnicity data to help us deliver targeted equitable services.
We implement initiatives that promote inclusion and work towards equitable outcomes for the diverse groups in our population.
See also Patient Data.
Where possible, we reduce barriers to communication so patients can be fully informed about their care. For example:
- engaging an interpreter
- getting assistance for hearing/speech impairment
- encouraging patients to bring whānau or a support person.
See also Interpreter Services and Support People, Chaperones, and Observers.
Resources