There are some positive features for health in the Budget. Key highlights for health and disability services include:
o More than $1 billion to increase pay rates and boost staff numbers.
o Funding to employ an additional 500 nurses.
o An extra half a billion dollars for the primary and community sector "to support sector stability and to reduce pay disparities over time between hospitals and community health sector staff."
o $199 million to deal with the winter 2023 peak.
o $118 to help reduce waiting lists by various operational changes.
o $20 million to lift immunisation and screening coverage for Māori and Pacific people.
o $1.3 billion annually to address health cost pressures.
o $2.2 billion to remediate historical non-compliance with the Holidays Act.
o Scrapping the $5 part charge for prescription medicines.
Some of the other measures with health implications:
o Extending a 20-hour-a-week subsidy on early childhood education to children as young as two-years-old. The subsidy has previously only been available to children three- to five-years.
o Free public transport for children under 13 and half price fares for people under 25. This is partly designed to boost numbers using public transport, which is critical to reduce our climate emissions.
o $402.6 million for expanding "Warmer Kiwi Homes."
o Ka Ora, Ka Ako Health School Lunches programme provided with $323.4 million to continue delivering free lunches in school.
o Expanding Whānau Ora services including support for wāhine hapū and their pēpi.
o $27.3m to end the Minimum Wage Exemption, which allows disabled people to be paid at rates lower than minimum wage.
There are some positive features for health in the Budget. Key highlights for health and disability services include:
o More than $1 billion to increase pay rates and boost staff numbers.
o Funding to employ an additional 500 nurses.
o An extra half a billion dollars for the primary and community sector "to support sector stability and to reduce pay disparities over time between hospitals and community health sector staff."
o $199 million to deal with the winter 2023 peak.
o $118 to help reduce waiting lists by various operational changes.
o $20 million to lift immunisation and screening coverage for Māori and Pacific people.
o $1.3 billion annually to address health cost pressures.
o $2.2 billion to remediate historical non-compliance with the Holidays Act.
o Scrapping the $5 part charge for prescription medicines.
Some of the other measures with health implications:
o Extending a 20-hour-a-week subsidy on early childhood education to children as young as two-years-old. The subsidy has previously only been available to children three- to five-years.
o Free public transport for children under 13 and half price fares for people under 25. This is partly designed to boost numbers using public transport, which is critical to reduce our climate emissions.
o $402.6 million for expanding "Warmer Kiwi Homes."
o Ka Ora, Ka Ako Health School Lunches programme provided with $323.4 million to continue delivering free lunches in school.
o Expanding Whānau Ora services including support for wāhine hapū and their pēpi.
o $27.3m to end the Minimum Wage Exemption, which allows disabled people to be paid at rates lower than minimum wage.