Helping more Kiwis fight cancer

Helping more Kiwis fight cancer

A National Government will pay for 13 cancer treatments that are helping extend survival rates in Australia, by making them available to patients in New Zealand.

Each year, around 25,000 are diagnosed with cancer and 10,000 tragically lose their lives. Almost every New Zealander will have some experience with cancer in their lifetime – either personally or through a friend, colleague or loved one.

But despite the hard work and dedication of New Zealand’s trusted healthcare professionals, cancer survival rates here lag behind Australia, partially due to Australia's broader funding of cancer medicines.

The New Zealand Cancer Control Agency recently identified 13 treatments for lung, bowel, kidney, and head and neck cancers that provide significant clinical benefits and are funded in Australia but not in New Zealand.

Under National, New Zealanders will not have to leave the country, mortgage their home, or start a Givealittle page to fund potentially lifesaving and life-extending treatments that are proven to work and are readily available across the Tasman.

National will allocate $280 million in ring-fenced funding to PHARMAC over four years to pay for these therapies. We think this is a better use of taxpayers’ money than paying $5 prescription fees for everyone, including those who can afford to pay the $5 themselves. Under National, those on low-incomes and superannuitants will receive free prescriptions and the cancer treatments will be available to all patients with clinical need, as assessed by their doctors.

Read more about our policy to help more Kiwis fight cancer here

More of National’s plan to deliver better health

National will focus relentlessly on results. We will increase health funding every year, and shift resources from back-office bureaucrats to the frontline. We will restore explicit health targets, including for cancer treatment times, to drive improvement.

Free Breast Cancer Screening

Lifting New Zealand’s game on cancer will be a priority for the next National Government. Read more about our plan to increase the free breast cancer screening age from 69 to 74 years old here: Free breast cancer screening

Addressing the health workforce crisis

National has also announced plans to address the health workforce crisis by training 220 more doctors a year and offering nurses and midwives up to $22,500 in student loan forgiveness in exchange for agreeing to work in New Zealand for at least five years.

Read more about our plan to train more doctors here: Training more doctors

Read more about our plan to deliver more nurses and midwives here: Delivering more nurses and midwives

Targeting better health outcomes

A National Government will bring back targets for important measures like wait times and cancer treatment to focus the health system on achieving better results, and will incentivise GP clinics to lift immunisation rates.

Read more about our plan to target better health outcomes here: Targeting better health outcomes