Health Targets Improve Nationwide as Kiwis Gain Faster Access to Care

“Our frontline teams have made steady progress ensuring New Zealanders can access timely, quality healthcare when they need it,” Brown said.

New Zealanders are receiving faster and more reliable healthcare, with the latest quarterly performance results showing improvements across all national health targets compared with the same period last year. Health Minister Simeon Brown says the progress demonstrates the dedication of frontline health workers and the positive impact of the Government’s targeted investments.

“Our frontline teams have made steady progress ensuring New Zealanders can access timely, quality healthcare when they need it,” Brown said. “These improvements mean real benefits for patients—faster cancer treatment, more children protected from disease, and shorter waits for surgeries and specialist assessments that change lives.”

The results cover the July to September quarter, a period marked by one of the busiest winters in recent years as emergency departments confronted high volumes of patients with seasonal illnesses. Despite these pressures, health providers delivered measurable gains across key areas of care.

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Key Year-on-Year Improvements (July–September)

1. Faster Cancer Treatment

• 86.8% of patients began treatment within 31 days, up from 84.6% last year.

• Supported by the Government’s $604 million Pharmac funding boost, which is providing 33 new cancer medicines, enabling more timely care and improved survival outcomes.

2. Higher Childhood Immunisation Rates

• 82.6% of children fully immunised by age two, compared with 75.7% last year.

• This is the largest increase across all health targets, protecting thousands more children from preventable diseases and strengthening community immunity.

3. Shorter Emergency Department Waits

• 68.9% of patients were admitted, treated, or discharged within six hours, up from 67.5%.

• This gain was achieved despite higher patient volumes, showing improved efficiency and responsiveness in emergency care.

4. Faster Elective Surgery

• 65.9% of patients received elective procedures within four months, up from 62.2% last year.

• This improvement came even after around 13,500 procedures and appointments were cancelled during union strikes.

5. Shorter Waits for Specialist Assessments

• 62.3% of patients had their first specialist assessment within four months, up from 61.2% last year.

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Government Initiatives Driving Progress

Brown said the improvements highlight the early impact of Government programmes designed to clear backlogs and boost hospital capacity:

Elective Surgery Boost

• Thousands of additional hip and knee replacements, cataract surgeries, and other procedures have been completed since February.

• The goal is to help New Zealanders recover mobility, return to work sooner, and enjoy active lives with their families.

Record Health Investment

• The Government is providing a record $30 billion annual investment in health.

• Funding priorities include training more doctors and nurses, expanding access to medicines, and strengthening system accountability.

Brown acknowledged ongoing challenges within the sector and the need for further improvements.

“While our health targets are driving progress, we know too many Kiwis are still waiting too long to be seen. Our focus remains on ensuring every New Zealander can access timely, quality healthcare,” he said.

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Recognising Frontline Efforts

The Minister expressed gratitude to healthcare professionals who navigated an exceptionally demanding winter to ensure patient needs were met.

“I want to thank our healthcare workers for their dedicated work throughout a challenging winter, and for continuing to put patients first,” Brown said. “Together, with more frontline staff and smart investment, we are rebuilding the system around patients and driving better outcomes.”