Stuart Smith
National MP
Kaikoura
Under a National government, many more New Zealanders will gain access to essential cancer treatments. The National Cancer Control Agency has identified 13 cancer treatments as either lifesaving or life-prolonging and currently, these treatments lack funding in New Zealand. These therapies target lung, bowel, kidney, melanoma, and head and neck cancers, offering substantial clinical benefits. While these treatments are funded in Australia, they remain inaccessible in New Zealand.
New Zealanders should not have to leave their country, mortgage their homes, or resort to fundraising pages in order to afford potentially life-saving and life-extending treatments that are proven effective and readily accessible across the Tasman.
Alarmingly, New Zealanders face a 15 per cent higher cancer mortality rate than our Australian counterparts – a deeply concerning statistic that we must address.
Cancer impacts nearly every New Zealand family, either directly or through a friend, colleague, or loved one. Annually, over 25,000 Kiwis are diagnosed with cancer, resulting in the tragic loss of more than 10,000 lives.
To finance this initiative, we will ringfence $280 million for PHARMAC over four years. The funding will be redirected from the free prescription policy enacted by Labour, which failed to consider the ability of individuals to pay.
National believes that some can afford a nominal $5 prescription charge, and diverting these funds towards cancer therapies is a meaningful alternative.
Under National’s proposal, seniors and those with low incomes will continue to receive free prescriptions. For other families, the yearly prescription cost will be capped at $100.
The intended cancer treatments will be accessible to all patients whose clinical needs are determined by their doctors.
Over the past six years, Labour’s management of health has been marked by failure. While undergoing an expensive and bureaucratic health sector overhaul, all health metrics have gone backwards.
Lifting our game on cancer treatment will be a priority for an incoming National government. Already, we have announced the expansion of free breast-cancer screening to encompass those aged 69 to 74, an initiative that is expected to save around 65 lives annually.
National will focus on delivering better healthcare for all New Zealanders. We will increase health funding every year, and shift resources from the back office to the frontline.
