Equity, Cultural Safety & Hauora Māori

Healthcare that respects who you are, what matters to you, and what you need to achieve the best possible health outcomes.

At Redcliffs Medical Centre, we want every person and whānau who comes through our doors to feel welcomed, respected, heard and able to access the care they need.

We recognise that people do not all experience the same opportunities for good health or the same barriers to accessing healthcare. Equity means recognising these differences and responding according to individual and whānau needs, so everyone has a fair opportunity to achieve good health.

Our approach is grounded in respectful, person and whānau-centred care, cultural safety, inclusion and continuous improvement.

Our Place – Te Rae Kura

Redcliffs / Te Rae Kura sits alongside Te Ihutai, the Avon-Heathcote Estuary, in an area with a long history of Māori settlement and mahinga kai.

We acknowledge the cultural significance of this area and recognise Ngāi Tūāhuriri as mana whenua. As a medical centre caring for people within this community, we recognise our responsibility to respect the history and identity of the place in which we work and to provide healthcare that supports the health and wellbeing of Māori patients and whānau.

Our connection to our local community is important to us. We aim to provide a welcoming place where people and whānau feel that they belong, are listened to and are respected.

Our Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi

As a healthcare provider in Aotearoa New Zealand, Redcliffs Medical Centre recognises Te Tiriti o Waitangi as an important foundation for achieving equitable health outcomes for Māori.

Our approach reflects the health sector principles of tino rangatiratanga, equity, active protection, options and partnership.

In practice, this means supporting Māori participation in decisions about their own health, working to identify and reduce barriers to healthcare, providing culturally appropriate options, supporting whānau involvement, and actively working towards equitable health outcomes.

We recognise that cultural safety and health equity require ongoing work. We are committed to continuing to learn, listen, review our services and improve how we provide care for Māori patients and whānau.

Supporting Equitable Health Outcomes

We know that providing everyone with exactly the same service does not necessarily result in the same health outcomes.

Equity means recognising when someone may need a different approach, additional support or additional resources to access and benefit from healthcare.

At RMC, this includes:

monitoring our patient population and health outcomes to identify where inequities or gaps in care may exist;
using recalls and proactive follow-up to support preventative healthcare, screening, immunisation and long-term condition management;
considering barriers such as cost, transport, language, communication, disability, health literacy, childcare and family responsibilities;
identifying patients who may benefit from additional support or alternative ways of accessing care;
reviewing our services and quality improvement activities through an equity lens; and
listening to patient and whānau experiences to understand where we can do better.

Māori Health

We recognise Māori as tangata whenua and acknowledge the persistent health inequities experienced by Māori.

We aim to support Māori patients and whānau through timely access to high-quality care, prevention and early intervention, culturally safe practice, whānau-centred care and connections with appropriate Māori health and community services.

We also use our own patient data and quality improvement work to identify opportunities to improve access, preventative care and health outcomes for Māori within our enrolled population.

Pacific Health

We recognise the health inequities experienced by Pacific peoples and the importance that family, community, culture and spirituality may have in health and wellbeing.

We aim to provide care that is responsive to the individual needs, values and circumstances of our Pacific patients and their families, and to help connect patients with appropriate Pacific health and community services where additional support would be beneficial.

Culturally Safe Care

Cultural safety is about more than knowing about different cultures. It means recognising that every patient brings their own identity, values, beliefs, experiences and understanding of health to their healthcare.

At RMC, we aim to create an environment where patients feel safe to tell us what matters to them.

You are welcome to talk with us about your culture and identity, your beliefs and values, tikanga or cultural practices that are important to you, your preferred name and pronunciation, your preferred language, who you would like involved in your care, and anything that could make accessing healthcare easier or more comfortable for you.

Our clinicians will work with you to make healthcare decisions that are clinically appropriate while respecting your values, preferences and circumstances.

Whānau Are Welcome

For many people, health and wellbeing involve more than the individual.

We welcome whānau, family members, caregivers, support people and advocates to be involved in your healthcare when you would like them to be.

This may include having someone with you during an appointment, helping you understand information, supporting decision-making or being involved in planning your ongoing care.

You remain at the centre of decisions about your health, and we will respect your preferences regarding who is involved and what information may be shared.

Language & Interpreter Support

We want you to be able to understand your healthcare and communicate comfortably with our team.

Free telephone and virtual language interpreter services, including New Zealand Sign Language support, are available for our enrolled patients.

Please let our Reception Team know when booking if you would like an interpreter. Where possible, we recommend letting us know in advance so this can be arranged for your appointment.

If you have other communication needs, please let us know. We will work with you to find the most appropriate way to support you.

Accessibility & Individual Needs

Our purpose-built medical centre has been designed with accessibility in mind, including an accessible entrance and ramp, wide doorways and hallways, accessible bathrooms and adjustable examination couches.

However, accessibility needs are different for everyone.

Please tell us if there is anything we can do to make accessing healthcare easier for you. This might include:

mobility or physical accessibility requirements;
hearing or vision needs;
communication or language support;
neurodivergence or sensory needs;
having a support person present;
needing additional time or explanation; or
difficulty understanding written health information.

We encourage you to tell us what works best for you.

Building a Culturally Capable Team

Providing culturally safe healthcare requires ongoing learning.

Our team participates in training and professional development designed to strengthen cultural awareness, cultural safety and our understanding of health inequities. This includes learning relating to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, hauora Māori, Te Whare Tapa Whā, tikanga, te reo Māori, unconscious bias and culturally responsive healthcare.

We also use team meetings, patient feedback, quality improvement activities and review of our health data to identify opportunities to improve the way we care for our community.

Working With Our Community

Sometimes the best support for a patient or whānau extends beyond the medical centre.

We work with and refer to a range of health, social and community organisations and can help connect patients with services appropriate to their needs.

This includes connections with Māori health and wellbeing providers such as He Waka Tapu and Purapura Whetu, as well as other local services that can provide support with health, mental wellbeing, social needs and other factors that can affect a person's health.

Where another service may be better placed to provide particular support, our team can help patients and whānau understand the options available and connect with appropriate services.

Your Voice Helps Us Improve

Equity also means listening.

We want to understand the experiences of the people and whānau who use our services, particularly those who may experience greater barriers to healthcare.

We regularly seek patient feedback and use this alongside our health data, quality improvement work and community relationships to identify areas where we can improve.

If there is something we could do differently to make your healthcare more accessible, inclusive or culturally safe, please tell us. You can speak with any member of our team or contact our Practice Manager.