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Communities in Gisborne, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Lakes, and Taranaki will have access to faster, more accessible healthcare under Budget 2025, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Strengthening urgent and after-hours care is a key part of our plan to ensure all New Zealanders – including Kiwis living across the Midland region – can access the right care when they need it,” Mr Brown says.Budget 2025 delivers a significant investment in urgent and after-hours healthcare across the region, making it easier for people to access care closer to home.“Urgent care services in Tauranga will be strengthened to ensure more consistent, high-quality care, with a new 24/7 service urgent care service identified to meet the growing needs of the city’s expanding population and reduce pressure on hospital resources.“Rural communities such as Tokoroa, Te Awamutu and Matamata will also benefit from better urgent care access, including extended opening hours, better diagnostic access, and more support for local health teams.“This investment will ensure that people through the Midland region – whether in larges centres of smaller towns – can get urgent care more quickly outside of normal hours, without needing to travel long distances.Key Budget 2025 initiatives for the Midland region include:
A new 24/7 urgent care service identified for Tauranga by mid-2026.
Maintaining all existing urgent and after-hours healthcare services in the region.
Extended after-hour services identified for Thames, Whakatane, Tokoroa, Gisborne, Taupo, Te Kuiti, and Hawera.
Improved services for rural and remote Midland communities, including better access to diagnostics, urgent medicines, and 24/7 on-call clinical support.
“This Government is investing more in health than ever before, with a record $16.68 billion over three Budgets to improve health outcomes for Kiwis.“Our investment is delivering a healthcare system that works for every New Zealander – easing pressure on hospitals, strengthening our frontline workforce, and improving outcomes for patients across the region,” Mr Brown says.