Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Health NZ will stop using an equity adjustor tool that prioritised ethnicity as one of five factors in non-urgent surgical waitlists, after a review found it was "legally and ethically justifiable" but didn't follow "best practice".
The report, released to RNZ, recommended the tool continue to be used in the hospitals it's already been rolled out in, but under strict conditions and on the basis improvements are made.
However, the decision has been made to stop using it, which is supported by Health Minister Shane Reti.
Health NZ told RNZ it agreed with all the recommendations in the report "except that the tools should continue to be used while evolved".
Health NZ says it wants a fundamental relook.
RNZ's Political Editor Jo Moir explains.
