30 Sep 2025
1 year ago
1218 views
Health Minister Simeon Brown highlights improvements in healthcare across New Zealand, emphasizing shorter waits and faster treatment for patients. Key achievements include faster cancer treatment, increased childhood immunizations, and shorter stays in emergency departments. The government's initiatives, such as the Elective Boost program, have led to more patients receiving timely care, but efforts to further reduce wait times and improve access to care continue.
29 Sep 2025
1 year ago
1207 views
New Zealand's first Advanced Practitioner Radiation Therapist specializing in prostate cancer is revolutionizing care in the lower South Island, providing faster access to treatment, personalized support, and improved outcomes for men. The role allows for consistent patient support throughout the treatment journey and enables specialists to see more patients in need of care. The new approach is already demonstrating tangible benefits for patients and clinicians, with plans to extend the model to a wider range of urological conditions in the future to improve patient experience and ensure timely, quality healthcare.
27 Sep 2025
1 year ago
1276 views
The upgrade of Christchurch Hospital’s cardiac catheterisation laboratory is now complete, with three state-of-the-art labs providing advanced cardiac care services for the South Island. The new facilities offer improved technology, increased capacity, and enhanced resilience, ensuring faster access to treatment and better outcomes for patients across the region. This upgrade establishes Christchurch Hospital as a leading center of excellence in cardiac intervention, delivering cutting-edge care and safeguarding the heart health of New Zealanders in the South Island.
18 Sep 2025
1 year ago
1229 views
The ASMS union's decision to continue strike action will impact over 13,000 patients despite an updated offer from Health New Zealand costing over $160 million for 5,500 senior doctors. Health New Zealand estimates that the strike will delay care for 13,000 patients, affecting elective procedures, specialist assessments, follow-up appointments, and outpatient procedures. The union's refusal of binding arbitration is criticized for prioritizing politics over patient care, with senior doctors being well-compensated and receiving generous benefits.
17 Sep 2025
1 year ago
1363 views
A new nurse-led cystoscopy service at Dunedin Hospital is ensuring timely follow-up care for bladder cancer patients, with 290 patients seen since its launch in November 2024. This service, led by two skilled nurses, has successfully kept all 150 patients on the surveillance programme on track with their cystoscopies, completing 10 to 15 follow-ups weekly. The initiative not only improves patient access to care but also optimizes workforce utilization, allowing specialists to focus on more complex procedures and contributing to achieving faster cancer treatment targets.
13 Sep 2025
1 year ago
1388 views
Whanganui Hospital's dental unit has been modernized and upgraded to provide a brighter, more accessible space for patients, with improvements including an enlarged waiting room and dedicated areas for IV sedation. The refurbishment aimed to enhance patient flow, safety, and accessibility, with improved wheelchair access and a new recovery space for sedation patients. The upgraded unit now features modernized dental rooms with new equipment to enable efficient and safe care delivery, reflecting the government's commitment to providing fit-for-purpose health facilities that meet community needs.
12 Sep 2025
1 year ago
1183 views
Health Minister Simeon Brown announces changes to modernize health workforce regulation to improve patient access to care by reducing bureaucratic red tape and recognizing overseas qualifications more quickly. The changes aim to streamline regulation, increase accountability, and align New Zealand with Australia to speed up access to care and support new healthcare delivery models while maintaining patient safety. Patients will have a voice in ensuring regulators work towards improving access to care, and the changes will help attract, train, and retain the healthcare workforce needed to deliver timely, quality care.
08 Sep 2025
1 year ago
1262 views
The Government has surpassed its initial Elective Boost target by delivering over 16,000 additional procedures, reducing patient wait times, as stated by Health Minister Simeon Brown. The procedures included hip, knee, and cataract surgeries, benefiting people of various ages and backgrounds across different regions of New Zealand. This achievement is part of the Government's plan to decrease elective treatment wait times, aiming to treat 95% of patients within four months by 2030, with ongoing efforts to further enhance healthcare accessibility.
06 Sep 2025
1 year ago
1520 views
Health Minister Simeon Brown notes a 25% decrease in the cardiology first specialist assessment (FSA) waitlist in Auckland since November 2023, with patient numbers dropping from 3,829 to 2,847 between November 2023 and March 2025. The reduction in wait times has been significant, especially for those waiting over four months, with a 73% decrease from 663 to 179. Progress has been made across all three Auckland districts, reflecting efforts to expand clinic capacity, improve systems for reminders and follow-ups, and streamline scheduling to reduce delays in booking appointments. The goal is to ensure that 95% of patients are seen within four months by 2030, with ongoing efforts to further reduce wait times and improve access to timely specialist care.
04 Sep 2025
1 year ago
1255 views
Health Minister Simeon Brown has urged Health New Zealand and ASMS to swiftly engage in binding arbitration to settle their dispute, which stems from an expired collective agreement despite previous efforts like mediation and bargaining. The ongoing strike actions by ASMS have disrupted care for numerous patients, with a potential future strike threatening more disruptions. The Government emphasizes the importance of providing timely and quality healthcare to all New Zealanders, and both parties must confirm their acceptance of arbitration by Friday 4:00 PM.
02 Sep 2025
1 year ago
1416 views
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) union has decided to strike, leading to delays in healthcare services for thousands of New Zealanders, including cancellations of surgeries and treatments, delays in specialist assessments, and critical follow-up appointments. The strike is seen as a political move by the union, impacting patients already in pain and waiting for treatment, with concerns raised about transparency in the decision-making process. Despite the government's investments in nursing workforce salaries and benefits, efforts are being made to reduce wait times and prioritize patient care, urging the NZNO union to return to negotiations and prioritize patients over politics.
25 Aug 2025
1 year ago
1640 views
Whangārei Hospital is initiating a procurement process for additional and upgraded carparks to accommodate the ongoing redevelopment, addressing the current capacity challenges and growing demand. Health New Zealand is seeking a civil contractor to build a new carpark extension with 552 spaces to replace those lost due to construction and enhance overall capacity. Acting Health Minister Matt Doocey emphasizes the importance of easy access to health services and highlights the commitment to delivering a modern hospital for the community.
16 Aug 2025
1 year ago
1619 views
Health Minister Simeon Brown announces that over 100 New Zealanders have benefited from DNA methylation profiling, a groundbreaking diagnostic tool for brain tumour diagnoses at Auckland City Hospital. This technology allows for more precise and quicker identification of tumour types, leading to earlier treatment initiation. The service in Auckland is one of three in Australasia, providing faster access to advanced diagnostic technology locally, improving outcomes for patients and reducing costs associated with sending samples overseas for analysis.
11 Aug 2025
1 year ago
1890 views
The Government emphasizes timely, effective, and affordable healthcare for all New Zealanders, viewing health as an investment in societal well-being and economic productivity. Efforts are underway to streamline the medical devices system, address uncertainties, and enhance patient outcomes through strategic decision-making and collaboration between agencies. The goal is to drive innovation, improve access to new technologies, and ensure Pharmac evolves to support broader fiscal and societal objectives, ultimately aiming to deliver better care, increase efficiency, and secure a sustainable future for the healthcare system.
11 Aug 2025
1 year ago
1511 views
The Health Minister Simeon Brown announces a 36% decrease in the Northland waitlist for First Specialist Assessments (FSAs) since November 2023, emphasizing the importance of timely access to heart specialist care in detecting conditions early. The cardiology FSA waitlist in Northland dropped from 1,091 to 691 between November 2023 and March 2025, with a 68% decrease in patients waiting longer than four months. The reduction in waitlists is attributed to initiatives such as running cardiac clinics at rural hospitals, coordinating assessments to minimize visits, and expanding local services, reflecting a commitment to improving access to heart care in Northland.