More doctors, faster access to doctors

More New Zealand-trained doctors in primary care, so you can see a GP faster.
More doctor training places at medical school every year to boost the workforce.
Overseas-trained doctors will be allowed to work in GP practices in your communities.
Additional funding for GP practices to take on more patients.
Increasing numbers of urgent and after-hours clinics across the country, so you can see a doctor an hours’ drive from wherever you live in NZ.
A new medical school at Waikato University to train more doctors and nurses for community and rural practices.

More nurses, more training, better care

Hiring more nurses - around 2000 have been added to the frontline since taking office.
Increasing nurse practitioner training places to 120 by 2026, providing faster, better care.
Fast-tracking tertiary education for 120 primary care nurses annually, easing pressure on hospitals.
Incentives for GP practices to recruit and support 400 graduate registered nurses annually to help reduce hospital pressures and improve access to care.
Easier transfer from hospital to aged care, so elderly patients get better care in the community, freeing up beds in hospital for others.
Announced we are extending postnatal stays for new mums to three days.

Multi-million boost for cancer treatments and better access to medicines

$604 million boost to Pharmac to improve access to life-saving treatments.
This has already delivered 66 additional medicines, including 33 new cancer medicines, helping Kiwis access cutting-edge therapies.
Extending regular prescriptions to 12 months from next year – saving you time and money.

More elective surgeries

Delivering more than 16,000 additional elective procedures so far, including cataracts, hips, knees - slashing wait times.
This will see thousands more operations to help reduce the waiting list and get people the care they deserve.

Lowering the bowel cancer screening age

Dropping the screening age from 60 to 58, giving 122,000 Kiwis access to life-saving early detection – the first step to aligning with Australia.
This will prevent 771 bowel cancers and 556 deaths over the next 25 years.

Extending the breast screening age

Extending the free breast screening age to women aged between 70-74.
The rollout is supported by a new digital platform that automatically identifies eligible women, sends screening invitations, and enables secure online booking to make breast screening faster, simpler, and more accessible.

Better digital access to healthcare

A new 24/7 digital health service that has delivered over 20,000 consultations with GPs over the phone or laptop since launch in July 2025.
This means you can get prescriptions, lab test referrals and radiology online, making healthcare easier and more convenient to get when you need it.

Investment in hospitals

Building new, modern hospitals in record time, in key communities where they are needed, like Nelson and Dunedin.
Upgrading hospitals and clinics across the country ensuring they’re safe, modern and fit for purpose.
38 new and replacement CT, MRI and SPECT scanners over three years to give patients faster access to the tests and care they need.

“New Zealand needs a health system that puts patients first, and is relentlessly focused on delivering the care Kiwis need when they need it. Making that happen is a top priority for my Government.”

Rt Hon Christopher Luxon | Leader of the National Party