In Budget 2015 the Government allocated $6 million of new funding over three years to help improve care for people with musculoskeletal health conditions. This includes increasing access to early community based advice, treatment, education to improve self-management, and rehabilitation to improve function and participation in activities that are important to them.
The Mobility Action Programme (MAP) is funding a range of programmes for people with musculoskeletal health conditions so that people have improved health outcomes.
These outcomes include improving mobility, reducing pain, and the impacts of the musculoskeletal conditions, so that people will be able to better carry on activities and functions that are important to them.
Providing the right support at the right time will help people manage their musculoskeletal condition better. This means their quality of life will be improved and the need for surgery may be reduced.
A fundamental principle of the MAP is that the right care is provided in the right place at the right time by practitioners with the right knowledge and resources.
The wider aim of the MAP is to evaluate programmes so we can identify the models of care that provide the greatest benefits for people with musculoskeletal conditions while providing good value on the investment in health resources.
It is the expectation that successful MAP models of care, and the lessons learned from them, could be translated into larger scale and sustainable publicly-funded services.
Read more about the MAP in these questions and answers.
A timeline of past and future dates
This timeline will be updated as the MAP progresses. Future dates are indicative and may change.
The Ministry sought initial applications for funding a number of programmes with the aim that they be underway during the first half of 2016. This was Tranche 1.
August 2015 – Registrations of interest (ROI) for Tranche 1 posted on the Government Electronic Tender Services (GETS) site.
September 2015 – Closing dates for ROIs.
October 2015 – Nine of 49 ROI proposals were selected to proceed to a closed Request For Proposal (RFP) stage for Tranche 1. RFP posted on GETs.
Late November 2015 – RFPs submitted to national project team for assessment.
December 2015 – Successful applicants for Tranche 1 notified.
January 2016 – Seven applicants entered into contract negotiations with the Ministry of Health and have since begun operating during the course of 2016.
February 2016 – The Ministry sought a second round of applications to join the MAP programme. This is Tranche 2 and followed a similar process to Tranche 1.
June 2016 – RFPs for Tranche 2 were submitted to national project team for assessment.
July 2016 – Successful Tranche 2 applicants notified.
From start of 2017 –Ten Tranche 2 projects to become operational over course of 2017.
How can I be part of this?
The MAP team is based at the Ministry of Health. If you are interested in learning more please contact Edith Bennett at [email protected].
The Expert Advisory Group
The Ministry of Health is being guided in its work by an Expert Advisory Group. The multi-disciplinary group has been established by the Ministry of Health and has specialists in rehabilitation, rheumatology, exercise, nutrition, orthopaedics, physiotherapy, pharmacology, primary care, nursing, as well as representatives from ACC and consumers. The group covers a breadth of academic expertise and current ‘coal face’ clinical practice.
The members of the group are:
- Anna Barnett: Community Dietician, Hutt Valley DHB.
- Christine Bloomfield: Manager, Rehabilitation, ACC.
- Helene Carbonatto: General Manager, Service Improvement, Service Integration and Development Unit (SIDU), Capital and Coast DHB.
- Janet Evans: Primary Care Specialty Nurse-Rheumatology Nelson Bays Primary Health Organisation.
- Malcolm Johnson: Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland
- Dr Grant Johnston: GP, Springlands Health Ltd Blenheim, Nelson Marlborough DHB.
- Dr Peter Jones (Co-Chair): Consultant rheumatologist & Chief Advisor, Community Health Service Improvement, Ministry of Health.
- Dr Jenny Keightley: GP and Clinical Leader Primary Care, Canterbury Clinical Network; President, New Zealand Association of Musculoskeletal Medicine.
- Associate Professor Peter Larmer (Co-Chair): Associate Professor and Head, School of Clinical Sciences, AUT University.
- Mr Alex Malone: Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Christchurch Hospital; Senior Clinical Lecturer, Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Otago.
- Professor Kath McPherson: Chief Executive, Health Research Council of New Zealand.
- Leighton Murray: Senior Physiotherapist, Southern District Health Board.
- Dr Andy Phillips: Director of Allied Health, Pouarataki Kaikokiri Hauora, Hawke's Bay District Health Board.
- Dr Helen Rodenburg: Clinical Director, Long Term Conditions, Ministry of Health.
- Kathleen Smith: Consumer representative and former President Arthritis NZ.
- Dr Alice Tait-Jamieson: GP, Ora Toa Health Services, Poneke Medical Centre.
- Leanne Te Karu: Pharmacist Prescriber, Pihanga Health Centre, Turangi.