Ministry of Health seeks applications from Rural Innovations Fund

The Ministry of Health is seeking applications from a $300,000 fund aimed at supporting innovations in health services for rural people.

People delivering health services to rural people are invited to apply for one-off grants up to a maximum of $50,000 aimed at encouraging and helping to spread new and improved ways of working.

Dr Janice Wilson, Deputy Director-General for Population Health, says the Ministry recognises that some of the challenges faced by rural health practitioners and providers in New Zealand are different from those faced in urban areas.

“Rural people have always been innovative. There are some exciting things going on and people are thinking up new ways to improve the way health services are delivered in rural areas. We want to encourage those people and we want to help others learn about the good ideas so people living in other parts of New Zealand can benefit.”

“The Ministry is particularly interested in receiving innovative proposals aimed at enhancing the recruitment and retention of rural health professionals, for example, rural midwives,” she says.

In the past, successful applications have come from across New Zealand. Diverse projects have been funded such as developing an online library of innovative rural health projects, career planning for rural nurses and trialling community health development nursing positions.

More information about the fund and applications is available on the Ministry website (http://www.moh.govt.nz ). Applications close on 31 March 2008.