how can I get some non-government based information on how people with health problems are doing in New Zeala?

Answer 1

As the previous answerer has indicated. Health services are primarily delivered by government agencies in New Zealand.

I suppose my questions would be (a) when you say non-government, do you mean non-New Zealand government and (b) are you looking for specific health areas or simply a general overview?

Depending on your answers, then I suggest a good starting point might be the 'World Health Organisation' which gathers data on each country's performance in a number of important health areas and gives an indication of how each country is doing. The link to information on New Zealand is given below.

While it would be true to say that fundamental data is going to be provided by the NZ government agencies, I would hope that an organisation like the WHO would independently check that the figures represent as close to the truth as possible.

If you're looking for a specific area of health, then it is possible that a private lobby group or support organisation would keep independent statistics in order 'to keep the government honest'. You'll have to post a separate question if you are looking for specifics. I have also given a website link to just such an organisation (called SHORE) which is run from Massey University.

Answer 2

I doubt that you can. Health in New Zealand and in Australia is a government business. There are private hospitals but the whole system is government controlled and it is the government that keeps all the statistics. The figures are available to the public, just ask for what you want.