Health & Well-being
An additional $8 billion investment in health over four years
See the details in our fiscal plan here.
Cut GP fees by $10 a visit with $8 GP visits for Community Services Card holders
From 1 July 2020, we will lower the cost of GP visits by $10 through:
Read the details here.
Free mental health care in the community
We will:
Mental health services in Canterbury schools
We will:
Read the details here.
Review of mental health services
In our first term, we will initiate a review of mental health and addiction services to identify gaps in services.
Health services in every secondary school
We will:
Read the details here.
Rebuild Dunedin Hospital
We will:
Read the details here.
Make sure all Kiwis get world-class cancer treatment
We will:
Read the details here.
Fund the latest medicines to end HIV
We will:
Read the details of our Rainbow policy here.
Fund and support healthy eating and nutrition for children
Read the announcement here.
Disability Issues Policy
One in four New Zealanders identify as having a disability. Labour believes that a truly inclusive society is one in which disabled people have meaningful lives within their communities based on respect and dignity, have their diversity recognised, and their human rights supported. Disabled people should be involved in every aspect of decision-making about their lives, with support where needed, from families. This is reflected in the motto ‘Nothing about us without us’.
New Zealand has been recognised for its leadership on disability issues internationally. However, there is still a long way to go before all disabled people enjoy a fully inclusive society that values them and enhances their participation.
Each disabled person must be recognised as an individual person with their own set of needs as aspirations – no two people with a disability are the same. We believe that disabled people should be supported and encouraged to follow their aspirations, make their own choices, and to lead a quality life.
Read the full policy here (PDF).
Read the full policy here (DOCX).
Inquiry into Aged Care
This inquiry was initiated by the Labour Party, Green Party and Grey Power. The initial impetus was to review implementation of the recommendations from the A Report into Aged Care (October 2010), but it was also agreed to update the analysis to take account of significant changes in the aged care system and the health sector since 2010.
The process of gathering views and evidence was undertaken between February and June 2017, drawing on eleven public meetings across New Zealand, interviews, research and analysis.
Older New Zealanders still have significant concerns about the standard and availability of aged care in New Zealand which must be addressed, along with new challenges.
While much has changed since our 2010 Report, and some improvements have been made, this inquiry has found that many of the problems remain. Many of the recommendations have not been implemented, others only partially implemented and some not implemented at all.
The recommendations in the report signal the direction of travel both political parties agree to pursuing in aged care. This is an aspirational vision to improve the standard of aged care services for our older New Zealanders, ensure the sustainability of service providers and improve the health of the population.
Read the full report here
See the details in our fiscal plan here.
Cut GP fees by $10 a visit with $8 GP visits for Community Services Card holders
From 1 July 2020, we will lower the cost of GP visits by $10 through:
- Lowering the VLCA fee cap by $10 to $8 for adults and $2 for teens (under 13s are already free), with a funding increase to VLCA practices to cover this
- Increasing government funding for all practices that lower their fees by $10, lowering the average non-VLCA fee from $42 to $32 and the maximum fee from $69 to $59
- Increasing funding for GP training places, taking the intake to 300 per year
- Carrying out a review of primary care funding to further reduce barriers to primary care and ensure the financial sustainability of practices.
Read the details here.
Free mental health care in the community
We will:
- Make it easier for those in our community with mental health problems to get the help they need by increasing resources for frontline health workers.
Mental health services in Canterbury schools
We will:
- Provide eighty health professionals to provide mental health services in primary and intermediate schools in Christchurch and other earthquake-affected parts of Canterbury, including Kaikōura, for an initial three years.
Read the details here.
Review of mental health services
In our first term, we will initiate a review of mental health and addiction services to identify gaps in services.
Health services in every secondary school
We will:
- Extend School Based Health Services to all public secondary schools so all schools have a comprehensive youth health service.
Read the details here.
Rebuild Dunedin Hospital
We will:
- commit to beginning construction of the new Dunedin Hospital within our first term
- fund the rebuild out of the Government’s normal capital allowance, and rule out using a PPP
- commit to a central city site for the new hospital, not the Wakari site
- immediately form a group of Southern DHB, Ministry of Health, Dunedin City Council, Otago Regional Council, and the University of Otago to agree the vision for the new hospital and what each of those organisations will do to help realise it.
Read the details here.
Make sure all Kiwis get world-class cancer treatment
We will:
- Make sure all New Zealanders get the same standard of cancer care no matter where in the country they live
- Ensure New Zealanders get world-class cancer care through Labour’s $8 billion investment in health
- Streamline cancer care in New Zealand by establishing a National Cancer Agency
Read the details here.
Fund the latest medicines to end HIV
We will:
- help achieve the goal of ending HIV in New Zealand by 2025 by: increasing access to sexual health services, testing, and early treatment; funding access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP); and supporting education, research, and community groups which help achieve this goal
Read the details of our Rainbow policy here.
Fund and support healthy eating and nutrition for children
- In Government, we will provide a clear time-frame for industry to reduce added sugar content in all processed food
- We'll roll out the Project Energize programme from the Waikato, nationally
- We'll introduce an actual childhood obesity reduction target
- We'll implement clear front-of-package labelling that is easy for everyone to understand
- We will develop policy around advertising unhealthy food to children, school food requirements, etc.
Read the announcement here.
Disability Issues Policy
One in four New Zealanders identify as having a disability. Labour believes that a truly inclusive society is one in which disabled people have meaningful lives within their communities based on respect and dignity, have their diversity recognised, and their human rights supported. Disabled people should be involved in every aspect of decision-making about their lives, with support where needed, from families. This is reflected in the motto ‘Nothing about us without us’.
New Zealand has been recognised for its leadership on disability issues internationally. However, there is still a long way to go before all disabled people enjoy a fully inclusive society that values them and enhances their participation.
Each disabled person must be recognised as an individual person with their own set of needs as aspirations – no two people with a disability are the same. We believe that disabled people should be supported and encouraged to follow their aspirations, make their own choices, and to lead a quality life.
Read the full policy here (PDF).
Read the full policy here (DOCX).
Inquiry into Aged Care
This inquiry was initiated by the Labour Party, Green Party and Grey Power. The initial impetus was to review implementation of the recommendations from the A Report into Aged Care (October 2010), but it was also agreed to update the analysis to take account of significant changes in the aged care system and the health sector since 2010.
The process of gathering views and evidence was undertaken between February and June 2017, drawing on eleven public meetings across New Zealand, interviews, research and analysis.
Older New Zealanders still have significant concerns about the standard and availability of aged care in New Zealand which must be addressed, along with new challenges.
While much has changed since our 2010 Report, and some improvements have been made, this inquiry has found that many of the problems remain. Many of the recommendations have not been implemented, others only partially implemented and some not implemented at all.
The recommendations in the report signal the direction of travel both political parties agree to pursuing in aged care. This is an aspirational vision to improve the standard of aged care services for our older New Zealanders, ensure the sustainability of service providers and improve the health of the population.
Read the full report here
