BUDGET 2025: ‘Budget doesn’t do enough to fix health workforce crisis’ – Doctors

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) says that the Aotearoa NZ budget has fallen well short of addressing the health workforce crisis.

While the College has welcomed certain initiatives within the budget – it says the overall investment is far too low to tackle the country’s healthcare challenges.

Aotearoa NZ RACP President Dr Hamish McCay says “We’re deeply concerned that today’s budget will do little to improve patient access to specialist care – which is in dire shape right now.

“The healthcare system is operating under great strain – and it’s a problem that this government must urgently address.

“It is positive to see measures like the new spending on health infrastructure, the extension of medicine prescription times, and extra funding for cancer treatments, and primary and after-hours care. However, the challenges facing our healthcare system reach well beyond this.

“Aotearoa needs a comprehensive, fully-funded plan to provide New Zealanders the best healthcare possible. This includes timely access to the doctors and other medical professionals they need to see.

“There has been no improvement in the waiting time to see a specialist or have an elective procedure, with 40% of patients waiting longer than the government’s 4 month target. In fact the Health NZ’s data shows that more people are waiting more than 4 months to see a specialist or have a procedure than was the case 12 months ago.”

“Without a fully funded plan to support the health workforce, referrals will continue to be greater than our capacity to treat.”

A 2023 workforce analysis by the RACP found that Aotearoa New Zealand had fewer specialists per head of population than Australia. This remains the case today, with only 73 physicians for every 100,000 people compared to 101 per 100,000 in Australia. Only 0.9% of physicians work in rural areas in New Zealand.

“It is concerning that this budget has completely overlooked the dire state of our healthcare system. Patients cannot wait any longer for this to be fixed.”