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New Zealand’s first social bond will aim to empower people with mental illness and support their families, Finance Minister Bill English and Health Minister Jonathan Coleman say.

Social bonds, in which the return for investors will be partially determined by whether or not agreed social targets have been achieved, will become another tool in the Government’s social investment approach that is aiming to improve the lives and prospects of the most vulnerable New Zealanders.

An extra $76.1 million will be invested over four years to provide more hospice and palliative care services for New Zealanders, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says.

“Hospices make a huge difference to people's lives by ensuring terminally ill people are as free from pain and suffering as possible. They also provide valuable care and support for families and friends,” he says.

“As New Zealand’s population grows and ages, the demand for palliative care continues to increase.

Budget 2015 invests $12.4 million to extend the Waitemata District Health Board’s bowel cancer screening pilot to December 2017, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says.

“A colonoscopy can identify whether a person has cancer or pre-cancerous growths. Bowel cancers found and treated early can save lives,” he says.

“More than 6,000 people have received a colonoscopy through the $24 million bowel screening pilot since January 2012. Early results from the pilot are positive and it is providing valuable information for the potential roll-out nationally.

New Zealand’s health budget will reach a record $15.9 billion in the coming year, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says.

“It is important that all New Zealanders and their families have access to timely quality healthcare, no matter where they live,” he says. “Budget 2015 is investing around $1.7 billion in health over the next four years for new initiatives and to meet cost pressures and population growth.

An extra $98 million will be invested in Budget 2015 to provide more New Zealanders with timely elective surgery, and to improve the prevention and treatment of orthopaedic conditions, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says.

“Access to elective surgery is a top priority for the Government. Elective surgery makes a real difference to patients and their families – it reduces pain, increases independence, and improves quality of life,” Dr Coleman says.