Submission on the National Public Health Service Consultation Proposal

Rare Disorders NZ has made a submission on the National Public Health Service Consultation Proposal

Rare Disorders NZ strongly opposes the National Public Health Service (NPHS) consultation proposal to significantly reduce the Antenatal and Childhood Screening team from nine roles to four. This team plays a critical role in supporting three essential screening programmes that directly impact the diagnosis and management of rare disorders:

1. Antenatal screening
2. Newborn Metabolic Screening Programme
3. Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Early Intervention Programme (UNHSEIP)

The proposed staff reductions are alarming, especially as advancements in newborn and antenatal screening are accelerating with genomic technologies enabling the detection of more conditions than ever before. Now is the time to expand and future-proof these critical programmes—an urgency recognised by the Australian Government, which is actively investing in the growth of its newborn screening initiatives.

It is widely acknowledged that success of screening programmes depends on their implementation and design, rather than the testing technology. Reducing staff resources at such a pivotal moment completely undermines New Zealand’s ability to plan for, consult on and successfully implement these life-saving advancements.

Read the full submission here.