Auckland DHB is funded on a population-based funding formula that is based on where people were living on census night.  Adjustments are made for age, ethnicity and also for the amount of specialist work provided to people outside the area.  Auckland DHB has a total revenue of approximately $1.3 billion per year and funding of $754 million for the Auckland DHB population.

Our aim is to achieve the right mix of services for the people of Auckland city while balancing the needs of people who live outside our area and require our tertiary services.  To achieve this, we are using a whole-systems approach whereby internal departments and external organisations are working in closer cooperation to achieve a vital few health outcomes and keep our community healthy, since we know a large proportion of our hospitalisations are avoidable.

As such there are a number of ways the ADHB allocates its funding. The main two approaches used are a request for proposals for specific services and a request for new initiatives through the annual prioritisation process.