New Waikato medical school

As you may have heard, the Government has approved the business case to establish a new medical school at the University of Waikato.

The University of Waikato’s model is a new approach that provides a graduate-entry pathway and focuses on primary care and rural health. 

The Government will commit $82.85 million in establishment costs to the new medical school. This is alongside more than $150 million being contributed by the University of Waikato, including philanthropic support.  

This significant investment in our health system will see 120 additional doctors trained a year, with the first intake of students expected to begin their studies in 2028. The decision supports the coalition Government’s priority of increasing the number of New Zealand-trained doctors who are committed to working in primary and community health care in rural and provincial New Zealand.

The Ministry of Health is the lead agency for the work to establish the new medical school, working closely with Health NZ, the Tertiary Education Commission, the Ministry of Education, Treasury and the University of Waikato. You can read more on our website.

Primary care announcements

As part of his opening address at the GP25 conference on 25 July, Minister of Health Hon Simeon Brown announced new initiatives to ensure New Zealanders can access timely, quality primary care.

These are:

• Setting a new health target for faster GP access. The proposed target will be that more than 80 percent of people can access a primary care provider within one week. This will take effect from 1 July 2026. The Ministry and Health New Zealand will be undertaking targeted engagement with the sector on the proposed target.
   
• Covering training costs for specialist general practice training through the General Practice Education Programme (GPEP), to better align with the support hospital specialist trainees receive.
   
• Reweighting of capitation, which is the core way that general practice is funded in New Zealand. The change is proposed to take effect from 1 July 2026. This is the first review of the funding formula in more than two decades. The current formula, created in 2002, is based on just two factors, age and sex, and it doesn’t reflect the health needs of New Zealand’s population or the cost of delivering primary care. The new approach will include factors that have an evidence-based effect on health outcomes and on how much people use health services. General practices with a higher needs population of enrolled patients will receive more funding to care for them.

Rural health roadshow

Hon Matt Doocey, Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Rural Health and Minister for Mental Health, is meeting with people in rural communities across the country to talk about how the Government can better support communities and people working in rural health. 

The roadshow began in Levin on 16 April and continued in Wairoa, Wānaka, Oamaru, Hanmer Springs and Gore. In August, Minister Doocey will visit Tūrangi and Kaitaia with more roadshow meetings planned in Hāwera, Te Kuiti, Greymouth and Thames in September.

The roadshow meetings are open to the public and information about how to register can be found on the Ministry’s rural health road show page.
 
The roadshow builds on the Rural Health Strategy, published by the Ministry 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.

Tupu Ola Moui: Pacific Health Chart Book

The Ministry recently published the final volumes of the Tupu Ola Moui: Pacific Health Chart Book Series (2025), completing the full five-volume set now accessible on the Ministry’s website.

This comprehensive series provides a vital foundation for tracking the performance of New Zealand’s health system in improving outcomes for Pacific peoples. It presents a detailed overview of key health indicators, offering valuable insights into the current health status of Pacific communities.

By establishing a robust baseline, Tupu Ola Moui enables us to monitor progress, identify areas for targeted investment, and guide the development of effective interventions. It also serves as a critical evidence base for policy advisors, decision-makers, health professionals, and community leaders working to enhance Pacific health and well-being.

Majority of Auckland vape retailers compliant

New laws restricting the visibility and promotion of vaping products came into law in June and officers are out in force to ensure compliance. Recent checks on vape retailers across Auckland found that the majority were compliant, with just over 90 per cent found to be adhering to the new laws.

On 17 June, changes to the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990 came into effect, including restricting retail visibility and the display of vaping products, banning disposable vapes, restricting advertising, and banning discounts, promotions and giveaways of vaping products.

While the breaches show there is more work to do, it’s encouraging to see the majority of retailers complying with the changes, which will help to stop young people being exposed to vaping products.

The Ministry is working closely with Health New Zealand to ensure retailers are aware of, and are meeting, the updated restrictions through guidance, education, and monitoring.

The retailers who failed the checks have been referred to the Ministry, as we are responsible for issuing infringement notices under the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act.

You can read more about the recent changes on our website.

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