National is delivering more local doctors, nurses, life-saving medicines, and easier access to healthcare.

Our priority is getting you the treatment you need, when you need it. These changes are just the beginning. The National-led Government is focused on fixing New Zealand’s healthcare system and ensuring all Kiwis get timely, quality care.

With a record $30 billion annual investment, we are rebuilding the system around patients, holding it accountable, driving better outcomes, and further boosting the frontline.

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.
• Invested $75 million to boost New Zealand’s resilience to infectious diseases and pandemic preparedness.

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.

Delivering a better mental health crisis response

• Announced a $61.1 million funding boost to deliver a better mental health crisis response.
• Launched an AI-powered mental health support tool.
• Opened a new mental health unit in Palmerston North.

“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

See more about what we've delivered for you.

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