Kia ora koutou,

This is my first newsletter as Director-General of Health and Chief Executive of the Ministry of Health, a role I was appointed to in April. While I have held various public service roles over more than two decades (most recently as Secretary of Transport and the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Transport), I began my working life at the Ministry of Health.

It’s a privilege to be leading the Ministry of Health as lead advisor to the Government on health, and steward of New Zealand’s health system.

I’m committed to strengthening the Ministry’s focus on policy, monitoring and regulation, as its core responsibilities for the health system. 

In my initial weeks, I have found connecting with sector and stakeholder groups to be an extremely valuable way to understand your perspectives and realities. I’m looking forward to more engagement in the weeks and months ahead. 

No doubt you will have followed the Budget 2025 announcements. The Ministry of Health administers Vote Health, and we work with other health agencies and across government to prepare advice to the Government on the Budget. We also advise on the policy settings that achieve the Government’s aim of delivering timely, quality healthcare for New Zealanders, and we will be monitoring the implementation of initiatives.

The Ministry will continue working with other agencies across the sector on the delivery of these initiatives.  

Noho ora mai rā,
Audrey Sonerson

Budget 2025 initiatives

Overall, total health spending will reach $32.7 billion through Budget 2025. The additional investment of 7.4 per cent in total funding represents an increase of 6.2 per cent per capita, which will make a real difference to people’s lives – ensuring timely, high-quality care for patients while supporting our frontline workforce who deliver that care every day.

2025 is the second year of a multi-year arrangement for $16.68 billion of cost pressure funding over three budgets, which was announced as part of Budget 2024. 

The package also includes funding for primary care, cancer treatments and other medicines, health infrastructure, and several new initiatives.

Increasing prescribing lengths 

Through Budget 2025, the Government has announced a new initiative to extend the maximum prescription length from 3 months to up to 12 months.

We expect the increased maximum prescription length to be available in early 2026.

The change will mean people with long-term or chronic conditions may be able to continue accessing their medicines for longer periods of time between appointments with their prescriber.   

The Ministry of Health, Health New Zealand and Pharmac will work together on the rollout of this initiative in the months ahead, including engagement with the sector.

You can read more on the Ministry of Health website - Increasing prescribing lengths. 

Primary care

The recently announced investment in urgent and after-hours healthcare is in addition to the new primary care initiatives announced in March. These support the Government’s focus on timely access to quality primary health care for all New Zealanders.

The $447 million operating funding through Budget 2025 supports the Primary Care Tactical Action Plan:

• 24/7 digital access to primary care for all New Zealanders
• initiatives to increase the GP workforce across the country
• initiatives to recruit, support and retain nurses in primary health care settings, and
• new and improved urgent and after-hours care services.

In addition, Health NZ will invest $285 million over the next 3 years through baseline funding to introduce performance-based funding aimed at improving access to core GP services and delivering more services in the community.

The Ministry of Health is working with Health New Zealand on the delivery of these initiatives and continues to lead a work programme on the way primary and community health care services are organised, funded and provided in the future. This includes policy work related to the capitation funding model, and the future role of PHOs (primary health organisations).

Urgent and after-hours healthcare  

Minister of Health Hon Simeon Brown announced communities around the country will get better access to urgent and after-hours care through Budget 2025, with a $164 million investment over four years to expand these services. The aim is that 98 per cent of New Zealanders will be able to receive in-person urgent care within one hour’s drive of their homes.

Read more about the rollout of these services on Health New Zealand’s website -Urgent and after-hours healthcare.

Infrastructure

Budget 2025 includes $1.013 billion for infrastructure investment, including the Nelson Hospital redevelopment programme, and the Wellington Regional Hospital Emergency Department refurbishments. Read more in the press release from Health Minister Hon Simeon Brown.

These investments are critical elements of the 10-year Health Infrastructure Plan Minister Brown announced in April.

Medicines Amendment Bill

As part of the Government’s focus on giving New Zealanders better access to medicines, the Medicines Amendment Bill was introduced to the House of Representatives on 31 March. The Ministry of Health has been leading this work in its role as the Government’s lead advisor on health policy. 

The Bill passed its first reading and has been referred to the Health Select Committee for consideration.

The Bill amends the Medicines Act 1981 by introducing a streamlined verification pathway for medicines approval in New Zealand, enabling medicines to be approved within 30 days if the product has approval from two recognised overseas jurisdictions – ‘the ‘Rule of Two’. 

Additionally, the Bill updates prescribing settings to enable wider prescribing of unapproved medicines in appropriate circumstances.

Read the press release from Health Minister Hon Simeon Brown and Associate Health Minister Hon David Seymour. 

Rural Health Roadshow 

Hon Matt Doocey, Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Rural Health and Minister for Mental Health, is visiting rural communities to hear about local health care and how the Government can better support communities and people working in rural health. 

The road show began in Levin on 16 April and Wairoa on 1 May and will continue across 10 rural locations over the coming months. The events are open to health professionals, rural health advocates, community leaders and members of the public. Information about how to register can be found on the Ministry’s Rural health road show page.

The road show builds on the Rural Health Strategy, published by the Ministry of Health in 2023, which sets the direction for improving the health of people who live in rural communities. It provides an opportunity to hear from the public and those working in rural health about how well the strategy is being implemented.

Upcoming changes limiting promotion of vapes

In its role as regulator for the health system, the Ministry of Health has been working with Health New Zealand to remind vaping retailers of upcoming changes that are part of a broader push to limit the number of young people picking up vaping. 

From 17 June, a complete ban on disposable vapes comes into force, as well as visibility restrictions on vaping products for retailers and increased restrictions on advertising.

These changes build on those introduced in December last year, which included significant increases in fines for sales to under-18s, and proximity restrictions relating to early childhood education centres. Read more on our website. 

 
Gambling Harm Strategy

Every three years, the Ministry of Health is required by the Gambling Act 2003 to set out a proposed strategy to prevent and minimise the harm caused by gambling.

On 5 June, Minister for Mental Health, Hon Matt Doocey announced the refreshed Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm, which you can read on the Ministry’s website.   

The Strategy sets out the approach to addressing gambling harm and supporting people who experience its effects. It was developed following a comprehensive consultation process.

The Strategy contains actions to prevent and minimise gambling harm, supported by targeted investment of more than $81 million over three years. This includes creating 18 new internship places to enable clinicians to develop hands-on expertise, helping them to move into important specialist roles focused on reducing gambling harm. The Strategy also supports improved monitoring and data collection.

It strongly aligns with the Government’s mental health and addiction priorities with a focus on prevention and early intervention, improving access to services and supports, strengthening our gambling harm workforce, and enabling more effective support services.
 

 Pacific Health Chart Book

In partnership with the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, the Ministry has published Volumes 1 and 2 of the Tupu Ola Moui: Pacific Health Chart Book series (2025), a comprehensive and data-driven report providing an in-depth look at the health of Pacific peoples in New Zealand.

This publication serves as a tool for understanding the health needs and challenges faced by Pacific communities. Data and analytics are a key function of the Ministry’s work, informing our advice to the Government. 

Tupu Ola Moui aligns with Te Mana Ola: The Pacific Health Strategy, and the Government Policy Statement on Health.

Feedback 

I welcome your feedback on this newsletter and invite you to share it with your leaders, staff and networks. If this was forwarded to you – you can subscribe for future updates on our website.

And I look forward to working with you to improve health outcomes for New Zealanders.