An extra $3 billion is going into health sector over the next
four years, including $75 million in 2009/10.
This at a time when the world is experiencing the largest
economic decline since World War II, finance minister Bill English
said this afternoon.
Budget announcements affecting the health sector include:
- $245 million over four years for capital infrastructure
- $185.7 million extra over four years for subsidised medicines,
including $46.9 million for Herceptin
- $103.5 million extra over four years to boost maternity
services
- $100 million over four years towards the New Zealand Insulation
Fund
- $89.5 million extra over four years for aged residential care
facilities and respite care
- $70 million over four years for extra health professions for
elective surgery
- $60 million over four years for hospice and palliative
care
- $45.5 million extra over four years to devolve some hospital
services to primary care
- $37.2 million over four years to help securely care and
rehabilitate offenders with an intellectual disability outside of
the criminal justice system
- $26 million of Mental Health Blueprint money over four years
for the treatment of eating disorders
- $25 million for new medical training places (from Vote
Education and Social Development)
- $17.5 million over four years for extra GP training places
- $15.3 million over two years starting in 20011/12 into
voluntary bonding for hard to staff health professions and
locations
- $4 million over four years for training health professionals
for rural areas.