NZ Expands Community Cancer Infusion Network to Deliver Treatment Closer to Home

With cancer incidence projected to rise due to an ageing population and improved diagnostics, the expansion also serves as a forward-looking investment in system resilience.

In a significant step toward decentralising cancer care and improving patient access, the New Zealand Government has announced a nationwide expansion of community-based infusion services—an initiative expected to transform how thousands of patients receive life-saving treatment.

Health Minister Simeon Brown revealed that the programme will dramatically increase treatment capacity across the country, enabling more New Zealanders to access advanced cancer therapies without the burden of long-distance travel to major hospitals.

At the heart of the expansion is a dual strategy: building new infusion centres while upgrading existing ones to meet rapidly rising demand driven by recent pharmaceutical funding decisions.

Scaling Up for a New Era of Cancer Treatment

The move comes in response to the Government’s record $604 million investment in Pharmac under Budget 2024, which has unlocked access to 66 new medicines, including 33 innovative cancer treatments. While this marks a breakthrough in drug availability, it has also placed unprecedented pressure on the healthcare system’s ability to deliver these therapies—many of which require intravenous infusion in clinical settings.

To address this gap, the Government is investing $210 million into infrastructure, equipment, and workforce expansion to support infusion services nationwide.

“Funding new medicines is only part of the solution,” Mr Brown said. “We must ensure the system has the capacity to deliver these treatments quickly and equitably. This expansion is about turning access into reality.”

Hundreds More Treatments Every Week

The scale of the expansion is substantial. Once fully operational, the initiative will deliver:

• 14 new infusion centres

• Upgrades to 14 existing facilities

• An additional 218 chair-days of treatment capacity per week

• Hundreds of extra patients treated weekly nationwide

Each infusion chair can typically serve three to five patients per day, meaning the cumulative increase in capacity will significantly reduce wait times and improve treatment timelines.

Health officials estimate that around 13,000 additional cancer infusions will be administered in the 2025/26 period, representing a 12% increase compared to previous years.

Bringing Care Closer to Communities

A defining feature of the programme is its focus on community-based healthcare delivery, shifting services away from overburdened urban hospitals and into regional and local settings.

New centres have already been established in:

• Bay of Islands

• Buller

• Waitākere

Meanwhile, expanded services are now operational in:

• Whangārei

• South Auckland

• Taupō

• Wairoa

• Napier

• Whanganui

• Wellington

• Christchurch

• Timaru

The next phase, running through to 2028, will further extend access with new facilities planned in:

• Dargaville, Henderson, Greenlane, South Auckland

• Te Kūiti, Hāwera, Waipukurau, Horowhenua

• Golden Bay, Christchurch, Rolleston

Additional upgrades will take place in:

• Kaitaia

• North Shore

• Taranaki

• Kāpiti

• Ashburton

This geographically distributed model ensures that patients in rural and semi-urban regions—who have historically faced significant travel burdens—can now receive treatment closer to home.

Workforce Expansion and System Resilience

Recognising that infrastructure alone is not enough, the Government has also launched a nationwide recruitment drive to strengthen the healthcare workforce supporting infusion services.

Efforts are underway to hire:

• Senior Medical Officers

• Specialist oncology nurses

• Pharmacists

• Allied health professionals

This workforce expansion is critical to maintaining service quality and ensuring consistent care delivery across all regions.

A Patient-Centred Shift in Cancer Care

Beyond the numbers, the initiative reflects a broader shift toward patient-centred healthcare, prioritising convenience, accessibility, and quality of life.

By reducing travel times and decentralising treatment, patients can:

• Begin therapy sooner

• Maintain stronger support networks at home

• Minimise disruption to daily life

“This is about putting patients at the centre of the system,” Mr Brown emphasised. “We want people spending less time on the road and more time with their families while receiving world-class care.”

Addressing Future Demand

With cancer incidence projected to rise due to an ageing population and improved diagnostics, the expansion also serves as a forward-looking investment in system resilience.

Healthcare analysts note that the integration of new medicines, combined with expanded delivery capacity, positions New Zealand to significantly improve cancer outcomes over the coming decade.

The infusion network upgrade represents not just an infrastructure boost, but a systemic transformation—aligning pharmaceutical innovation with practical, accessible delivery.

As the rollout continues through 2028, the initiative is expected to become a cornerstone of New Zealand’s cancer care strategy, setting a benchmark for community-based treatment models globally.