The purpose of the community health forum was to share the intentions of the current health reforms and the locality planning process, as well as to gain insights on what whānau would like to see change in their community.  Around 20 participants were in attendance. 

This is a summary of key insights that were gathered from the event:

Better support for healthcare services: 

• Long-term conditions are not being properly addressed at GP services.
• Our older people are struggling.
• There is a need for more support to reduce the price of food and personal hygiene products. 
• People don’t want to travel to Waikato Hospital for a five minute appointment.
• Demand for more residential beds. 
• Health needs to be part of the civil defence response.
• Services need to work better together, not in isolation.
• Respite care is needed; we have no relief.
• We have a chronic housing shortage.
• People are being discharged in the early hours of the morning from the ED with no way of getting home.
• Hauraki Council needs to help more.
• People are choosing not to go to the hospital because they won't have a way home.
• Having to wait five weeks for a GP appointment.