Shorter Waits for your GP

When you’re worried about your health or a sick child, the last thing you need is a long wait for a GP. ACT will invest an extra $400 million in general practice over four years to keep experienced doctors here and help them see more patients. We’ll also cut unnecessary red tape for qualified GPs coming from overseas, so you and your family can get care sooner.

ACT will:

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

• Keep experienced GPs working and in New Zealand by helping practices offer competitive remuneration and retain staff, making it more attractive for doctors to stay rather than retire early or move overseas.

• Help GPs see more patients by supporting practices to offer extra hours and reward additional appointments, so doctors who want to can see more patients and stay in practice longer.

• Attract qualified doctors from overseas by reforming and streamlining medical regulators so safe, competent professionals can enter the health system sooner.

In our team’s words:

ACT Candidate for Tāmaki James Christmas says:

“There’s no point promising more free appointments if there aren’t enough doctors to provide them.

“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.”