More medicines and earlier care

Putting the health of Kiwis at home ahead of money sent overseas, delivering more medicines and earlier screening with no new taxes

Over this term, National has reduced wasteful spending to invest in the frontline, putting patients back at the heart of the health system with faster access to care and the largest ever funding boost for new cancer and other life-saving medicines. Now, National will lock in that progress and go further.

Responsible fiscal management is paying a dividend. Together, National and hardworking Kiwis have put New Zealand back on a path to surplus, and National will maintain that discipline by bringing money back home. We will reduce foreign aid outside the Pacific, where we will continue to support our closest neighbours and strongest interests. Every dollar saved will be put to work for Kiwis fighting cancer and other serious illnesses, with no new taxes.

A re-elected National Government will deliver a further $604 million uplift in Pharmac’s medicines budget, paid for by these savings. The last time National made this investment, it delivered 66 new medicines benefiting hundreds of thousands of Kiwis, including 33 new cancer treatments.

National will also back new ways to bring the latest treatments to New Zealand through more clinical trials and locally produced CAR-T cell therapy. Money that was once spent offshore will instead be invested in cutting-edge care, ensuring more Kiwis benefit from world-class treatment here at home.

What we'll do

Deliver a further $604 million uplift in Pharmac’s medicines budget

building on National’s track record of expanding access to new cancer and other life-saving medicines

Turn responsible fiscal management into more medicines

by reducing foreign aid outside the Pacific

Set a national target for clinical trials

in New Zealand, so more Kiwis can access the newest treatments sooner, with a focus on cancer and rare disorders

Unlock CAR-T cell therapy

by supporting New Zealand’s medical sector to develop and produce this life-changing cancer treatment here at home

Lower the free bowel screening age to 50 by 2029

backed by additional colonoscopies, so bowel cancer is caught earlier when it is most treatable

Complete the free breast screening extension to age 74 by 2029

finishing the job National has started so more women have access to early detection

Launch new screening pilots for prostate and lung cancer

so more cancers are found earlier

Deliver free cervical screening for all women aged 25 to 69

from March 2027, so cervical cancer can be stopped before it starts

Establish the Healthy Kiwis Programme

expanding active prescriptions with a target to double the number of people receiving them by 2030, helping more Kiwis get active, stay healthy, and avoid chronic diseases like diabetes.