Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced a record funding boost for GP services across the country.
General practices are set to benefit from the largest funding boost in New Zealand’s history, because frontline care starts with your local GP, Health Minister Simeon Brown said.
“This Government is focused on real results. When you are able to see your doctor or nurse earlier, you stay healthier and out of hospital. That’s better for patients, better for the system, and exactly what we are here to deliver,” Brown said.
“Too many New Zealanders have struggled to get care because their local GP isn’t taking new patients, or the next available appointment is weeks away. This funding boost is about turning things around. It’s part of our NZD 1.37 billion investment in Health New Zealand through Budget 2025, backing your local family doctor to see more patients, reduce wait times, and deliver care faster to those who need it most.
The funding agreement reached with the sector reflected another significant step forward and will support GPs to continue to improve access to timely, quality healthcare.
Under the agreement, GPs will receive a 13.89 percent funding uplift this year. This brings the total Government funding increase for GP clinics this financial year to NZD 175 million, more than double the highest annual increase seen since capitation was first rolled out.
“This reflects our ongoing commitment to strengthen and invest in frontline services to ensure New Zealanders can get access to the timely, quality healthcare they deserve,” said Brown.
“We have already announced major investments to boost the number of doctors and nurses working in primary care. This funding boost will enable GP clinics to recruit and retain the additional workers as they graduate.”
This funding increase will provide:
- NZD 59 million capitation increase for the number of patients enrolled with individual general practices
- NZD 60 million for improved patient access to appointments, and to encourage practices to provide more data to enable more performance-based funding
- NZD 30 million performance-based funding for improved immunisation outcomes, specifically ensuring more babies receive their first vaccine doses at the six-week milestone
- NZD 26 million in additional funding to help GPs keep fees capped for community service card holders and those on low incomes and to prevent fee increases for under-14s.
“Supporting GP clinics to deliver minor planned care procedures closer to patients in the community takes pressure directly off our hospitals. That’s why a further NZD 5 million to expand access to minor planned care procedures in the community will be made available to the sector once implementation details are worked through. This will reduce wait time for procedures such as minor gynaecological procedures, skin excisions, iron infusions, and oncology infusions.”
Brown added that childhood immunisations are a key priority for this Government, which wants to see 95 percent of enrolled children fully immunised, and that it knows GPs play a critical role in achieving that.
“That’s why this agreement includes performance payments for clinics that lift childhood immunisation rates by up to ten percentage points, or to 95 percent of their enrolled population, with partial payment for partial achievement.”
This agreement marked a significant and positive step forward for the primary care system. It responded directly to consistent feedback from the sector over the past year about the need for a more sustainable and responsive funding model.
Brown expected this investment to deliver real results, including shorter wait times, easier access to care, and better health outcomes for patients.
The collection of more primary care data will further support a more effective funding approach and ensure resources are targeted at improving patient outcomes.
“This is part of the Government’s broader plan to rebuild and strengthen the foundations of our health system, with primary care at the centre, and to focus on performance and delivery,” said Brown.
“This is the largest investment in general practice in decades, but more importantly, it’s tied to better results. Shorter wait times. Higher immunisation rates. More patients are getting the care they need in the community.”
He added that funding, focus, and delivery were essential to rebuilding the health system.
“I would like to thank the primary care sector representatives, including GenPro, GPNZ and Te Kāhui Hauora Māori, who have worked with Health New Zealand in good faith on this record uplift.”
More news here.
