Balance New Zealand believes that every New Zealander deserves access to high-quality healthcare delivered in a timely and effective manner. A strong healthcare system is essential to national wellbeing, economic productivity, and the overall quality of life for New Zealand families.
While New Zealand’s current healthcare system provides universal access, increasing demand, workforce shortages, and long waiting times have created challenges that must be addressed. Balance New Zealand supports reform that improves efficiency, strengthens accountability, and ensures patients receive treatment when they need it.
This policy outlines Balance New Zealand’s approach to building a modern healthcare system based on universal access, activity-based funding, and clear timelines for patient care. The goal is to deliver a healthcare system that provides excellent outcomes while ensuring resources are used efficiently and patients receive timely treatment.
Balance New Zealand believes healthcare policy must focus on delivering both high-quality care and timely treatment for all New Zealanders.
Two fundamental outcomes guide this policy.
Quality of time
The time between a patient’s initial contact with the healthcare system and the resolution of their medical issue must be clearly defined and minimised wherever possible. Long waiting times for diagnosis and treatment should not be accepted as normal within the healthcare system.
Quality of care
All patients must receive care that meets high professional standards while ensuring equal access regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, or socioeconomic status.
The healthcare system must operate efficiently, ensuring resources are used effectively and services are delivered based on patient need rather than demographic considerations.
Balance New Zealand recognises that the healthcare system has a fundamental responsibility to provide essential medical care to those who require treatment.
Healthcare services should be accessible to all New Zealanders and designed to respond to patient needs quickly and effectively.
The system must provide medical intervention when required, ensure that treatment is delivered based on clinical need, and support both fixed and mobile healthcare services so that care remains accessible to all communities across the country.
Balance New Zealand believes that clear timelines should guide how patients move through the healthcare system.
The first point of contact will continue to be Healthline (0800 611 116), which provides triage and initial health advice. Balance New Zealand will continue funding and strengthening this service while investing in further training and professional development for Healthline staff.
Where a general practitioner appointment is required, patients should be able to see a GP within 72 hours of their initial triage call. Healthline staff will have the ability to search for available appointments across a patient’s region and book an appointment with any available provider if their usual doctor is unavailable.
Where necessary, patients will also be referred to support services that can assist with transport to medical appointments.
If specialist care is required, the GP will have 48 hours to refer the patient to an appropriate specialist. The specialist will then assess the patient and determine a treatment plan within 90 days.
Treatment or surgery should occur within 90 days of specialist assessment.
Balance New Zealand will introduce a New Zealand Patient Guarantee, ensuring that if a patient has not been assessed by a specialist within 90 days, the healthcare system will arrange for treatment in another region if necessary.
Under this system, the aim is that within six months of the initial GP visit, the patient’s health issue will be treated and resolved wherever possible.
Balance New Zealand is committed to ensuring the healthcare system delivers consistently high standards of care.
This includes properly trained triage professionals at Healthline, accessible and well-staffed general practice clinics, and specialist services capable of diagnosing and treating complex conditions.
Hospitals must remain well-equipped, modern, and capable of delivering specialised medical care when required.
Patients should also have access to affordable medicines, rehabilitation services following treatment or surgery, and appropriate follow-up care within the community.
Healthcare must remain patient-focused, ensuring individuals are treated with dignity and professionalism throughout their medical journey.
Balance New Zealand supports introducing an activity-based funding model within the healthcare system.
Under this model, funding will follow the patient rather than being allocated through large block grants to institutions. Healthcare providers will be paid for the services they deliver, improving accountability and ensuring resources are directed toward patient care.
The activity-based funding model will include partnerships with public, private, and not-for-profit healthcare providers. Patients will have the freedom to choose between these providers without unnecessary barriers.
Standardised funding rates will be set for common treatments and procedures such as joint replacements, surgical operations, dental services, and mental health treatments.
Providers will receive payment based on the services performed, alongside baseline funding to support operational stability.
Balance New Zealand will encourage New Zealanders to consider low-level health insurance policies to help cover costs where treatment exceeds allocated funding rates.
The aim is not to create competition between providers but to encourage collaboration and efficiency across the healthcare system while improving access to care.
This model will apply across a wide range of healthcare services, including dentistry, mental health, audiology, optometry, outpatient services, surgery, oncology, midwifery, ambulance services, and mobile healthcare initiatives.
New Zealand’s healthcare system faces ongoing workforce shortages that must be addressed to ensure services remain accessible.
Balance New Zealand will continue investing in medical education by increasing the number of medical students and supporting training opportunities within the country.
Graduates will be encouraged to remain working in New Zealand through incentives designed to support long-term careers in the healthcare sector.
Where shortages remain, immigration pathways will be used to recruit qualified healthcare professionals. Overseas qualifications will be assessed and recognised more efficiently where appropriate to help skilled professionals transition into the New Zealand healthcare workforce.
Balance New Zealand recognises the vital role played by **Pharmac in ensuring access to essential medicines.
The party supports increasing funding to Pharmac to expand the range of medicines available to New Zealand patients, including new treatments being introduced internationally.
Balance New Zealand will also investigate delays in accessing life-saving medicines and work to reduce waiting times for important treatments.
The government will encourage research and development within New Zealand’s pharmaceutical sector while supporting local manufacturers seeking to compete internationally.
Balance New Zealand believes that healthcare reform must focus on improving outcomes for patients while ensuring the system remains efficient and sustainable.
By introducing activity-based funding, strengthening workforce capacity, reducing waiting times, and expanding access to medicines, New Zealand can build a healthcare system that delivers timely treatment and high-quality care for all citizens.
This policy aims to ensure that New Zealand’s healthcare system remains universal, accessible, and capable of meeting the needs of future generations.
