Articles tagged with Care
Showing 15 of 178 articles
New National Approach Streamlines Disability Support Services for All
09 Feb 2026 | 7 months ago | 1007 viewsA new nationally consistent approach to Disability Support Services (DSS) will standardize needs assessments and support allocations across New Zealand, ensuring fairness regardless of location. This change, informed by extensive consultation, includes personalized funding plans, consideration of families and carers, and greater choice for about 38,500 people with flexible funding. These improvements aim to simplify processes, enhance wellbeing, and provide a stable foundation for strengthening the disability support system long-term.
Tags: Louise Upston Disability Support Services NASC Enabling Good Lives Independent Review My DSS families carers disabled people flexible fundingNew National Approach Improves Disability Support Services for All
09 Feb 2026 | 7 months ago | 1043 viewsA new nationally consistent approach to Disability Support Services (DSS) will standardize needs assessment and support allocation across New Zealand, ensuring fairness regardless of location. This includes personalized funding plans, consideration of families and carers in assessments, and greater choice and control for around 38,500 people with flexible funding. The changes, informed by extensive consultation, aim to simplify processes, improve wellbeing, and provide a stable foundation for the disability support system's future.
Tags: Louise Upston Disability Support Services NASCs Enabling Good Lives Independent Review My DSS Minister for Disability Issues disability community families and carers flexible fundingSouthland Hospital Opens New Dialysis Unit to Improve Local Patient Care
09 Feb 2026 | 7 months ago | 1100 viewsSouthland Hospital has opened a new dialysis unit with five haemodialysis spaces and a dedicated area for peritoneal dialysis training, improving access to treatment for patients in Invercargill and the wider Southland region. Previously, patients had to travel long distances to Dunedin for dialysis, but the new facility allows more local care, reducing stress and supporting better health outcomes. The unit will also support home haemodialysis training, increasing patient independence and flexibility in managing their treatment.
Tags: Southland dialysis Invercargill Health Minister Simeon Brown Southland Hospital renal care haemodialysis peritoneal dialysis Dunedin2026 Budget Preview: Focus on Core Services and Fiscal Responsibility
27 Jan 2026 | 7 months ago | 1070 viewsThe Government will present its 2026 Budget on 28 May, focusing on supporting core public services such as health care, education, defence, and law and order. Finance Minister Nicola Willis emphasizes tight control of discretionary spending, prioritizing limited commitments without excessive expenditure. The Budget aims to deliver savings and reprioritize existing funds to maintain essential services while restoring fiscal responsibility.
Tags: Government 2026 Budget Finance Minister Nicola Willis public services health care education defence law and order public financesPharmac Proposes Funding Trikafta and Alyftrek for All Children with Cystic Fibrosis
22 Jan 2026 | 7 months ago | 1080 viewsAssociate Health Minister David Seymour supports Pharmac’s public consultation on funding Trikafta and Alyftrek for children with cystic fibrosis of all ages, aiming to expand access beyond the current age restrictions. If approved, the proposal effective from April 1, 2026, would allow doctors to prescribe these life-changing treatments based on clinical need, addressing early harm caused by cystic fibrosis and improving patient outcomes. Pharmac encourages feedback from patients, families, healthcare professionals, and advocacy groups before the consultation closes on February 11, 2026.
Tags: David Seymour Pharmac Trikafta Alyftrek Kalydeco cystic fibrosis Associate Health Minister New Zealand public consultation healthcareOver 500 New Doctors Start Work in New Zealand Boosting Healthcare Access
13 Jan 2026 | 7 months ago | 1175 viewsOver 500 newly graduated doctors have begun working across New Zealand, marking the start of their careers as House Officers providing frontline care. The government is investing in increasing medical school places by 100 annually to build a sustainable health system with more home-grown clinicians. Health Minister Simeon Brown emphasizes that this growth in the medical workforce will improve access to care for patients and communities nationwide.
Tags: Simeon Brown New Zealand Post Graduate Year 1 PGY1 House Officers medical school doctors healthcare government medical trainingSouth and East Auckland Urgent Care Expands to 24/7 Service by 2026
19 Dec 2025 | 8 months ago | 1514 viewsSouth and East Auckland will soon have extended urgent care services, with Local Doctors Ōtara offering care from 7:30am to midnight starting 17 December and moving to 24/7 from 19 January 2026, while Eastcare will extend hours to 1am from 1 March. These improvements aim to provide timely, accessible, and affordable care close to home, reducing pressure on hospital emergency departments. The changes are part of the Government’s national Urgent Care and After Hours Framework, which seeks to ensure 98% of New Zealanders live within an hour of in-person urgent care and introduces a consistent approach to fees and subsidies.
Tags: Simeon Brown Tāmaki Health Local Doctors Ōtara Eastcare New Zealand Government Whangārei Tauranga Invercargill Lower Hutt DunedinEducation Minister Erica Stanford Announces New Pay Deal for Area School Principals
17 Dec 2025 | 8 months ago | 1253 viewsEducation Minister Erica Stanford announced the successful renewal of the Area School Principals’ Collective Agreement, which benefits over 140 principals with improved pay and conditions. Key enhancements include a 4.7% pay increase, a $6,000 NCEA Change Implementation Allowance, phased increases to principal payments, and a $5,000 mentor allowance. The settlement reflects a commitment to professional development, student achievement, and productive negotiations supporting rural school leadership.
Tags: Erica Stanford Area School Principals Education Minister pay negotiations collective agreement rural communities professional learning student achievement NCEA Change Implementation Allowance Career Structure paymentsNew Zealand Health Progress: Faster Cancer Care, Immunisations & Shorter Waits
16 Dec 2025 | 8 months ago | 1240 viewsNew Zealand has seen year-on-year improvements in healthcare access, including faster cancer treatment, higher childhood immunisation rates, and shorter waits for surgeries and specialist assessments, despite a busy winter and union strikes. The government’s investments, such as a $604 million boost to Pharmac and the Elective Boost program, have contributed to these gains by delivering new medicines and additional procedures. Health Minister Simeon Brown emphasizes ongoing efforts to ensure timely, quality care for all Kiwis, supported by increased funding and frontline staff.
Tags: Simeon Brown Pharmac New Zealand healthcare workers cancer treatment childhood immunisations elective surgery emergency departments Elective Boost health targetsWellington Hospital Installs Advanced SPECT-CT Scanner for Faster, Safer Imaging
12 Dec 2025 | 9 months ago | 1257 viewsWellington Regional Hospital has installed a new SPECT-CT scanner featuring advanced imaging technology that provides faster, higher-quality scans with reduced radiation exposure, complementing an existing modern unit. This combined imaging technology enhances disease detection, diagnosis accuracy, and treatment monitoring for various patients, including those with cancer and children needing specialized imaging. The installation is part of a nationwide $108 million government upgrade to diagnostic imaging, which also includes refurbishing the scanning room to improve patient comfort.
Tags: Wellington Regional Hospital Simeon Brown Nuclear Medicine CT scan diagnostic imaging cancer treatment MRI patient care New ZealandEarn as You Learn: Expanding Paid Manufacturing Apprenticeships Across NZ
10 Dec 2025 | 9 months ago | 964 viewsThe Earn as You Learn pilot, launched in Waikato in February 2025, connects high school students with manufacturers to provide paid, real-world experience while earning a manufacturing certificate, achieving over 80% learner completion and strong employer support. Due to its success, the program will expand to the Hutt Valley and Canterbury in 2026, and Auckland in 2027, aiming to increase graduates from 17 to 100-150 annually. This initiative addresses skilled labor shortages in manufacturing, a key sector for New Zealand’s economy, by fostering collaboration between industry, educators, and government to build a future workforce.
Tags: Chris Penk Advancing Manufacturing Aotearoa Wintec Waikato Engineering Careers Association Earn as You Learn New Zealand Waikato Hutt Valley CanterburyCanterbury’s In-Home Care Service Transforms Healthcare, Frees Hospital Beds
05 Dec 2025 | 9 months ago | 900 viewsCanterbury’s Acute Demand Management Service, celebrating 25 years, provides in-home care to around 110 patients daily, reducing hospital admissions and freeing up beds for those needing hospital-level care. Overseen by primary care doctors and supported by skilled nurses and specialists, the service manages a wide range of conditions and delivers thousands of care packages and diagnostic tests annually. This community-based approach ensures timely, tailored treatment in patients' homes, improving satisfaction and optimizing healthcare resources in the region.
Tags: Simeon Brown Canterbury Christchurch Hospital Acute Demand Management Service primary care doctors community nurses allied health professionals mobile acute nursing team New Zealand healthcareWaikato Medical School Construction Begins to Boost Regional Healthcare and Training
04 Dec 2025 | 9 months ago | 918 viewsConstruction has begun on the Waikato Graduate School of Medicine, supported by over $230 million in funding, to train more doctors and improve primary care access in regional New Zealand. The new graduate-entry program, starting in 2028, aims to create a diverse medical workforce with a focus on rural and regional clinical placements, enhancing healthcare in underserved communities. This initiative complements the Government’s broader investment in the primary care workforce and supports regional development by providing local medical education and strengthening healthcare infrastructure.
Tags: Simeon Brown Shane Reti University of Waikato Waikato medical school New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine primary care rural health medical education Government funding healthcare workforceNZ Nurse Prescribers Can Now Prescribe Nearly Double the Number of Medicines
04 Dec 2025 | 9 months ago | 1061 viewsRegistered nurse prescribers in New Zealand can now prescribe nearly double the number of medicines, enhancing timely and local access to treatment for common and long-term conditions. This expansion, alongside increased prescribing rights for pharmacists and other health professionals, reflects their advanced training and aims to improve integrated care and reduce healthcare system pressure. Additionally, from February 2026, some patients on stable long-term medications will be able to receive prescriptions for up to 12 months, lowering costs and simplifying medication management.
Tags: Simeon Brown registered nurse prescribers Health Minister pharmacist prescribers nurse practitioners podiatrists New Zealand healthcare access medicines expansionNew Zealand Retirement Village Reforms: Fairness, Clarity, and Resident Protection
03 Dec 2025 | 9 months ago | 884 viewsThe New Zealand Government is introducing reforms to the Retirement Villages Act to enhance clarity, fairness, and transparency for residents and their families, addressing issues such as repayment delays and legal complexities. Key changes include clearer legal documents, upfront operator disclosures, an independent disputes scheme, and improved financial protections like timely fund repayments and cessation of fees upon vacancy. These balanced reforms, shaped by extensive public feedback, aim to strengthen residents' rights while supporting the sector’s growth and will be introduced to Parliament mid-next year.
Tags: Tama Potaka Casey Costello Retirement Villages Act New Zealand Government retirement villages aged care Retirement Commissioner National – New Zealand First Coalition housing reform residents rights