The Māori Caucus brings together Māori members from across the Canterbury Clinical Network (CCN) to provide a coordinated focus on equitable health outcomes for Māori in Canterbury.

By strengthening connections and improving the capacity and capability of Māori members who participate on Workstreams and Service Level Alliances, the Māori Caucus supports Workstreams and Service Level Alliances to deliver outcomes that protect and improve Māori health. Key to this is aligning activity with the Māori Health Outcomes Framework.

Equitable health outcomes is a key strategic priority for the Canterbury Clinical Network. Māori are one of the most disadvantaged ethnicities in the New Zealand health system, with real disparities between Māori and non-Māori in relation to health outcomes and life expectancy.

The Māori Caucus strengthens the Canterbury Clinical Network’s capacity for planning improved health services for Māori. As an alliance-wide group, the Māori Caucus compliments existing Canterbury-wide Māori perspective groups such as Te Kāhui o Papaki Kā Tai (TKOP) and the Māori/Pacific Provider Forum.

The Māori Caucus was established in 2013 and comes together for quarterly hui. Its objectives are:

• Māori on Canterbury Clinical Network Workstreams and Service Level Alliances are informed of activities across the whole of health system, and are able to support each other as and when required.
• To utilise the collective Māori skillsets, strengthening contributions to Workstreams and Service Level Alliances where requested.
• To provide a level of consistency in messaging across Workstreams and Service Level Alliances in relation to the Māori Health Outcomes Framework, Health Equity Assessment Tool and Whānau Ora Tool.
• To reduce the isolation as the sole Māori voice on Workstreams and Service Level Alliances in relation to Māori health.
• To problem solve issues as they arise.
• To encourage or implement through Canterbury Clinical Network, that Māori health is ‘everyone’s business’ not just Māori who are participating on the Workstream and Service Level Alliance. It is a responsibility of all Workstream and Service Level Alliance members.