Māori Health Committee
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takatini —
"My strength is not that of an individual, but that of a collective"
Māori whakataukī (proverb)
The purpose of the Committee is to recognise the place of Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi in Aotearoa New Zealand and the commitment of the College to Māori tangata whenua | Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Māori Health Committee was established in 2007 and operates in a kaupapa Māori way according to tikanga Māori. In 2019, the Committee became a standing Committee of the Board.
For more information, read the Māori Health Committee By-law (PDF).
Membership
The Committee has representatives from across the College's Māori membership and works with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Committee to promote and advance health and wellbeing outcomes for Māori and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples. This commitment is outlined in their Statement of Principles for Justice and Equity (PDF).
If you'd like to be a member on the Māori Health Committee, email your completed expression of interest form (DOC) to maorihealthcommittee@racp.org.nz
Committee members
Dr Matthew Wheeler, Chair, Fellow representative – Haematology, General & Acute Care Medicine
Dr Danny De Lore, Deputy-Chair – Paediatrics & Child Health
Dr Deneille Bligh, Advanced Trainee representative – Adult Medicine
Dr Kristy MacFarlane, Fellow representative – Gastroenterology
Dr Diana McNeill, Fellow representative – General & Acute Care Medicine
Dr Julia Reid, Fellow representative – General Paediatrics
Dr Myra Ruka, AMD and Education Strategic Partnership Group representative
Dr Fergus Stewart, Advanced Trainee representative – Adult Medicine
Dr Jade Tamatea, AMD and Education Strategic Partnership Group representative
Dr Tambra Trist, Fellow representative – Paediatrics & Child Health
Dr Curtis Walker, Fellow representative – Nephrology, General & Acute Care Medicine
Hauora Māori Pānui
Stay connected with us through the Hauora Māori Pānui eBulletin. It’s our way of keeping you informed about what’s happening in Māori health, education, practice, advocacy, and research.
Read the latest edition
A message from your Māori Health Committee Chair - Dr Matt Wheeler
Kei āku nui, kei āku rahi, tēnā koutou katoa.
Ki a koutou, ngā tangata o tēnei kāreti, nāia te mihi ki a koutou, mō tō koutou whakapau kaha i tēnei wā.
Tuia ki runga
Tuia ki raro
Tuia ki waho
Tuia ki roto
Tuia ki te whai ao ki te ao mārama
Mauri ora!
I hope this finds you all well. I write this just as the fourth EGM comes to a close. This has been an uncertain time in the College. I want to reiterate that the mahi of the Māori Health Committee and the Hauora Māori team continues.
Some of our key achievements include:
- making gains with our Lead Fellow and registrar initiative, including integrating the registrar role into a Te Whatu Ora position
- the creation and appointment of a Tumuaki Māori | Head of Māori and Equity
- our ongoing work on the Māori trainee journey
- delivering a Māori trainee wānanga in Wellington
- progressing work as we develop an Indigenous Curriculum
- supporting the implementation of the recommendations from the Paediatrics and Child Health Divisional Clinical Exam Review
We are looking forward to a great 2026 with plenty more to do and to assist our hapori. As we wind down, I hope you all have a great Christmas and New Year. See you in 2026.
Previous editions
September 2025
May 2025
March 2025
Pae Hautū
Former chairs and deputy chairs of the Committee are known as Pae Hautū. Members appointed as Pae Hautū will provide advice to new leadership, in accordance with Māori cultural practice of knowledge sharing and do not have voting rights.
Māori Health Hui
The Committee hosts a biennial Māori Health Hui for the College’s Māori members to reflect, connect and set the direction towards our goal of population parity for Māori in the physician and paediatrician workforce in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Hui reports
2019 (PDF)
2017 (PDF)