IHC is calling on the Government to stop leaving intellectually disabled people behind in health reforms.

Last week’s tabling of Te Pae Tata – The New Zealand Health Plan 2024–2027, signals a major investment in rebuilding the country’s health system.

But IHC says the plan fails the very group with the worst and most costly health outcomes in New Zealand – people with an intellectual disability.

“Despite the rhetoric of a patient-focused system, this plan does not target the population most in need,” says IHC Senior Advocate Shara Turner.

“Life expectancy for people with an intellectual disability is up to 18 years shorter than the general population. Māori with an intellectual disability die even younger. These are some of the worst inequities in our health system and they are being ignored.”

The new plan, developed by Health New Zealand under the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022, focuses on faster wait times and hospital efficiency. It makes sweeping promises to deliver “real results” for patients and improve “access for all New Zealanders” but offers only a vague and uncosted list of actions for disabled people.

The section on disability is largely aspirational, lacking the kind of targeted action, investment and accountability that the rest of the plan demands.

A silent crisis in health care

People with an intellectual disability face multiple, intersecting barriers when trying to access basic healthcare:

• They are 2.5 times more likely to be hospitalised for something preventable
• They are almost 3 times more likely to use emergency services
• Secondary healthcare costs for this group are nearly five times higher than for others – driven by avoidable crisis care

These statistics are even worse for Māori with an intellectual disability. Māori men with intellectual disabilities die on average 12 years earlier than Māori men without, and face higher rates of diabetes, dementia and mental illness than any other population in Aotearoa.

“This is a group that needs preventative, accessible, human rights-based care,” says Shara. “Instead, they are being treated as an afterthought.”

IHC’s call to action

IHC is calling on Health Minister Simeon Brown to urgently revise the health plan and commit to a focused, measurable response for people with an intellectual disability. IHC proposes:

1. Comprehensive annual health checks for all people with an intellectual disability – fully funded, as seen in the UK and Australia.
2. Targeted screening programmes and mental health support.
3. Specialist intellectual disability healthcare roles to build clinical knowledge and leadership.
4. Mandatory training on ableism, communication, and human rights for all healthcare professionals.
5. Plain language and Easy Read health information, as well as improved health literacy and advocacy tools.
6. A national strategy to address overmedication and poor care transitions across the lifespan.
7. Disability data collection – including a health marker in the National Health Index and a national mortality review for this population.

“We’ve got the research. We’ve got the roadmap,” says Shara. “This isn’t just a disability issue, it’s a public health failure.”

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