ACT will invest $400 million to get Kiwis more GP appointments

“ACT will invest an additional $400 million in general practice over four years to keep doctors in New Zealand, attract more from overseas, and deliver more GP appointments,” says ACT Candidate for Tāmaki James Christmas.

“Too many New Zealanders can’t get a GP appointment when they need one. In 2024/25, one in four adults and one in five children missed a GP visit because the wait was too long. That means parents worrying about sick children, people putting off treatment, and patients ending up in emergency departments unnecessarily.

“Labour’s policy to hand out three taxpayer-funded GP visits each year for the worried well will only make things worse. There’s no point promising more free appointments if there aren’t enough doctors to provide them.

“Rather than subsidising demand, ACT will increase the supply of appointments by keeping the doctors we’ve got, helping them see more patients, and attracting more from overseas.

1. Keep GPs working and in New Zealand

“The easiest doctor to recruit is the one you don’t lose. With 35 per cent of GPs intending to retire within five years and 18 per cent considering moving overseas, we need to make it more attractive for them to stay.

“ACT’s funding will help practices offer competitive remuneration, retain experienced staff, and encourage doctors to remain in practice rather than retire early or move overseas.

2. Help GPs see more patients

“We don’t have to wait for a new generation of doctors to graduate. We can make better use of the workforce we already have.

“GPs work an average of 33.9 hours a week, down from 36.4 a decade ago, while nearly one in ten works 19 hours or fewer. Restoring average hours to previous levels would be equivalent to hundreds of additional full-time doctors, without recruiting a single new GP.

“Not every GP can or wants to work more hours. But better funding could help practices offer extra hours, reward additional appointments, and encourage experienced doctors to keep working longer.

3. Attract qualified doctors from overseas

“We cannot afford to turn away qualified doctors because of unnecessary red tape. Work is already underway to streamline registration for overseas-trained medical professionals, including new fast-track pathways for qualified GPs.

“ACT will build on that progress by reforming and streamlining medical regulators to focus on getting safe, competent professionals into the health system, rather than putting unnecessary obstacles in their way.

“Unlocking New Zealand's potential means making sure poor health doesn't hold people back. Combined with ACT’s plans to close the medicines gap with Australia, introduce Pharmacy First, and establish a world-class cancer centre, ACT has the most credible and comprehensive plan to improve healthcare for New Zealanders.”

The funding will be an ongoing $100 million annual boost to general practice, on top of normal capitation increases, totalling $400 million over the first four years.