National is delivering real improvements in health because what gets measured gets done. That’s why we restored health targets after Labour scrapped them. More doctors, more nurses, and a third medical school under construction. Wait times are coming down. More people are being seen, treated and sent home sooner. There's more work to do, but the health system is heading in the right direction, and we're not going back.
What we’ve delivered
Health spending is at a record high of $34.2 billion this year
GP practices get the largest funding boost in New Zealand's history
$175 million last year and a further $120 million this year.
Delivered 450,000 more elective procedures
of this, more than 40,000 elective procedures have been delivered as part of National’s Elective Boost, maximising capacity across both the public and private healthcare systems so Kiwis received their procedures sooner.
Funded 33 new cancer medicines and 33 other treatments, with more to come
Hired 2,100 more nurses and 900 more doctors
In the public healthcare system.
Extended prescriptions to 12 months
Saving those with long-term stable conditions time and money.
Expanded urgent and after-hours clinics nationwide
because health emergencies don’t keep office hours.
A new 24/7 Online GP Care service
so patients can see a GP when they can't get an appointment with their own.
Lowering the free bowel screening age to 56
so you can now be checked at any age from 56-74
Progressively rolling out free breast screening to women aged 70–74
which means around 130,000 additional women will be eligible for screening every two years.
Funded the first nationally consistent specialist children’s palliative care service
An investment of $15.5 million so children with serious illnesses and their families will be better supported with compassionate, specialist paediatric palliative care closer to home.
Delivering three-day postnatal stays
so new mums can get the support they need
Investing more in St John Ambulance
so you can get timely care when you need it most.
Started construction on the new Waikato Medical School
where doctors will be trained for our rural and community GP practices.
