Leading Thinker on Health Systems Returns to New Zealand

One of World’s Leading Thinkers on Health Systems Returns to New Zealand

Professor Martin McKee from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine will address senior medical and dental staff in three district health boards next week.

He has been brought to New Zealand in a partnership between the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) and Waitemata District Health Board (DHB) for a series of presentations. In addition, ASMS is also organising presentations with Northland and MidCentral DHBs.

“Professor McKee made a significant impression on senior doctors and dentists when he spoke at the ASMS 25th anniversary special conference last year and we jumped at the chance to help bring him back to New Zealand to address wider audiences,” says ASMS Executive Director Ian Powell.

“He’s one of the world’s leading authorities on the workings and complexities of health systems and has the ability to pull together many diverse strands of research and analysis into a coherent overall picture. This is a valuable opportunity for medical specialists and senior managers in those DHBs to hear his analysis at first-hand.”

His three presentations are:

• Monday 13 April at Waitemata DHB, http://www.asms.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/INVITATION-CEO-Lecture-series-13-April-2015-Martin-McKee-Waitemata.pdf

• Wednesday 15 April at Northland DHB, http://www.asms.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ASMS-Mckee-Nthland-A4-Flyer-31Mar-FINAL.pdf

• Thursday 16 April at MidCentral DHB, http://www.asms.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ASMS-Mckee-MidCentral-A4-Flyer-FINAL.pdf

Mr Powell says the presentations will stimulate thinking about the changes needed to ensure New Zealand’s public health system is able to address the challenges of the needs of an aging population, the increasing burden of chronic illness, and providing equitable access to health care.

Professor McKee qualified in medicine in Northern Ireland, with subsequent training in internal medicine and public health. In addition to his position as Professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, he is also research director of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, and President of the European Public Health Association. He has published more than 820 academic papers and 44 books.

He was also one of the 140-plus signatories of an open letter reported in The Guardian yesterday, which criticised the UK Government’s stewardship of the NHS and the pressures on the health service (http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/07/senior-doctors-assess-governments-record-on-nhs-letter-in-full).

ENDS

© Scoop Media