New Zealand’s health system is in crisis. Emergency departments are overflowing, patients languish on waitlists, and it’s harder than ever to be seen by a doctor. Health and medical professionals are doing their best to provide Kiwis the care they need when they need it, but they’re overworked and burnt out. The health crisis is a workforce crisis,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“The state of New Zealand’s health and education services are slipping away from first world status, but with some political courage they can be turned around. This week ACT has highlighted our solutions for the truancy crisis, health infrastructure and innovative education. Today we’re showing how we can ensure New Zealand has enough nurses and doctors to provide access for Kiwis.

“New Zealand is turning away qualified and experienced migrants who want to work here. Rather than embracing these qualified workers with open arms, we set up impossible bureaucratic hoops for migrants to jump through, causing even the keenest migrant to leave our country for more welcoming shores.

• ACT will establish a process for recognising the credentials of medical professionals from countries with comparable healthcare systems.
• ACT will invest $163 million for General Practice capitation in 2023/24, with ongoing increases in outyears. This means a 13 per cent increase in funding to meet the increasing expenses being faced by GP practices. This is enough funding to equal the subsidy for 2.5 million extra GP visits
• ACT will enable physician assistants to take on more responsibilities, taking pressure off other parts of the health system. This could mean taking care of lower complexity needs like access to repeat prescriptions, ordering and interpreting lab tests, or diagnosing and treating common maladies such as ear infections.
• ACT will give the Health Minister the power to override a regulatory authority’s decisions or processes if the Minister believes the authority’s processes, practices or registration/accreditation criteria go beyond what is necessary to protect the health and safety of the public.

“This is what Real Change looks like. the Government has been focused on burning billions of dollars shuffling deck chairs, restructuring, and creating the divisive and ineffective Māori Health Authority. It should have been asking basic questions like will this latest idea get better treatment, faster, for more patients?

“If we don’t address the fundamental problems with red tape and regulations in the health system, the situation could get worse given our ageing population and nearly half of all GPs plan to retire in the next 10 years.

“ACT is focussed on cutting the red tape and supporting frontline health workers who are making a difference in Kiwis lives. That is the change of direction New Zealand’s health system needs.”

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