Health investment increases to a record $16.8b

Budget 2017 will invest an extra $3.9 billion over four years into Vote Health taking the total health investment to a record $16.77 billion in 2017/18, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says.

“Delivering better health services for a growing country remains this Government’s number one funding priority,” Dr Coleman says.

“The additional funding will deliver a range of new initiatives to meet cost pressures as well as population growth.

“The extra $879 million being invested into health services for 2017/18 is the biggest increase in eleven years. This takes health investment to a record $16.77 billion in 2017/18, an increase of around $5 billion across our nine Budgets.

“DHBs will benefit from an extra $1.76 billion over four years to invest in services, improve access, and to meet cost pressures and population growth.

The extra health funding also includes:

• $1.54 billion for wage increases for our 55,000 care and disability support workers as part of the pay equity settlement.
• $205 million for disability support services. This includes $27 million which will go to the Enabling Good Lives programme.
• $60 million for Pharmac to provide more access to new medicines.
• $52.3 million for emergency ambulance services.
• $38.5 million to continue the roll-out of the bowel screening programme.
• $100 million through the Budget 2017 Social Investment Package for innovative new mental health services.

“Only this Government can both manage the economy while also maintaining a sustainable investment into our health services.”