<p>Dr Amohia Boulton is to be a pivotal member of a Victoria University-led team of researchers recently awarded an HRC programme grant to carry out research into the effectiveness of the country&rsquo;s primary health care system. To be carried out over five years, the research will examine existing service delivery models and investigate improving service access for a range of population groups.</p>

<p>A suite of five projects comprise the Enhancing primary health care services to improve health in Aotearoa/New Zealand programme of research which has attracted $4.78 million in funding. Dr Boulton will play a key role in one of these five projects which will examine M&#257;ori access to, and experience of, the primary health care system. A critical aspect of this project will be investigating the potential for the improved integration of primary health and social services provision for M&#257;ori.</p>

<p>Enhancing primary health care services to improve health in Aotearoa/New Zealand, scheduled to begin in October 2018, will be led by Professor Jacqueline Cumming, Director of the Health Services Research Centre in Victoria University of Wellington&rsquo;s Faculty of Health. Whakauae has a long-standing history of research collaboration with the Health Services Research Centre. Dr Boulton has been a Visiting Senior Research Fellow with the Centre for close to a decade and the Centre partnered with Whakauae on the Whakauae-led HRC-funded study, Facilitating wh&#257;nau resilience through M&#257;ori primary health intervention study. Both research centres are also active participants in the Contracting at the Margins Research Group, an international network of researchers interested in investigating the role of the non-government (NGO) sector in the provision of primary health care services for those populations living in marginalising circumstances. Dr Boulton looks forward to this new opportunity to work collaboratively with the Health Services Research Centre.</p>

<p>Further information about the Enhancing primary health care services to improve health in Aotearoa/New Zealand programme of research is available from Victoria University of Wellington&rsquo;s website, <a href="https://www.victoria.ac.nz/news/2018/06/major-research-grant-awarded-to-assess-effectiveness-of-primary-health-care" target="_blank">you can view that here</a>.</p>

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