Better, faster medical treatment
Good health is hugely important to New Zealand families. A strong public health service gives families peace of mind – knowing that the care they need will be there, when they need it.
And that’s been a priority of the National-led Government – protecting and growing the public health service for New Zealand families.
We’re making good progress with more patients getting the treatment they need, sooner.
We’ve improved access to elective surgery, there are shorter waits for cancer treatment, and shorter stays in emergency departments.
Immunisation rates for our children are improving, smokers are getting better help to quit, and we’re doing more heart and diabetes checks.
Despite the economic challenges, this Government has continued to invest strongly in public health – an average of $500 million extra each year.
This year we’ve invested $14.7 billion in health services.
We’ve delivered 1300 more doctors and 3000 more nurses, while employing 1000 fewer back office staff.
Our hospital wards are becoming more productive and efficient.
National made elective surgery a real priority because we know that when people can’t get the surgery they need, life can be a lot harder, more painful and uncomfortable.
It can be difficult to do the simple things we all take for granted.
We’ve increased funding for this essential surgery in every Budget, and we expect to do the same again this year.
More patients are now getting the surgery they need, and they are getting it faster.
This year almost 160,000 New Zealanders will get elective operations, such as hip and knee replacements.
That’s 40,000 a year more than under Labour.
As part of our drive to make sure patients are getting the treatment they need sooner, we’re reducing waiting times for people to see hospital specialists so they can be assessed for surgery.
Our goal is to have no-one waiting over four months by the end of 2014.
There’s always more to do and we will continue to invest in our health services. It’s part of our commitment to deliver better, sooner, more convenient healthcare for New Zealand families.