Better health results and helping families
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2015.09.02 15:02
Helping to keep New Zealanders healthy is a priority for the National-led Government. We’re investing more than ever before into health and getting better results for New Zealanders and their families from that investment.
Our plan is working. New Zealanders are now receiving more elective surgeries, faster surgical assessments, better, faster cancer treatment, and children under 13 are getting free GP visits and prescriptions.
Figures just released show New Zealanders are now receiving 50,000 more elective surgeries than they did in 2008. This 42 per cent increase means more Kiwis can stay active and well for longer at home and in their community.
There are now thousands more doctors and nurses in our hospitals than in 2008, who are all making a difference to the lives of New Zealanders day in and day out.These improved results are supported by the $1.7 billion extra investment we committed to health over the next four years in Budget 2015.
We are also working hard to speed up New Zealanders’ access to first surgical assessments, which means more people are going on to get the operations they need.In the last financial year, more than 320,000 patients across the country received a first surgical assessment, which is an increase of 24 per cent on the 2008/2009 figures.
Last week, the National-led Government also released its first quarterly update on our KiwiSaver HomeStart package. This scheme is off to a strong start with the number of people accessing it doubling to more than 6500 applications in the first quarter to June.
Of these applications, more than 2000 have been approved and $7.2 million paid out in grants to help those people into their first home. A further 1740 applications have been pre-approved and more than 2000 applications are in the process.
Under the scheme, first home buyers can apply for government grants of up to $20,000 to put towards a deposit to buy their first home.We announced this policy during the election campaign last year and it came into effect on 1 April this year. This $218 million scheme will help around 90,000 people into their first home over five years.
National values home ownership – it brings security to families and enhances communities. That’s why we have a wide programme of work underway to improve housing supply and affordability, including our KiwiSaver HomeStart package.
