Healthcare in New Zealand

Among the European settlers, professional medical care was expensive and most people diagnosed themselves or sought alternative treatment.

[10] In the mid 19th century New Zealand's first public hospitals were created by Governor George Grey and were available for those who could not afford a private doctor.

[14][15][16] Public hospital charges of $50 for overnight stays were briefly implemented but was later abandoned as the 1993 election approached.

[18] Children were given free milk between 1937 and 1967 but these were abolished due to budgetary constraints,[19] fluoride is added most drinking water in the country and there have been many anti-drinking (from the 1870s) and anti-smoking campaigns (from the 1960s).

[25] In November 2023 research showed that children with serious trauma were twice as likely to die in hospital compared to Victoria, Australia.

In Christchurch, the Canterbury District Health Board has been successful in redesigning services to reduce hospital use.

In New Zealand's public health system it is typical for medical appointments, particularly surgeries to have a waiting list.

District Health Boards are typical judged in the media and by government in part based on the length of these lists.

However, the main concern noted by health industry observers was the overall increase in waiting time, about 304 days.

[29] In 2018 the Northern Region district health boards, Northland, Waitemata, Auckland and Counties Manukau developed a telehealth system with a unified video, audio, content sharing and chat platform provided by Zoom Video Communications which is intended to lead to a more integrated health system in the Northern Region.

[33] The Pharmaceutical Management Agency of New Zealand (PHARMAC) was set up in 1993 to decide which medications the government will subsidise.

In a sample of 13 developed countries New Zealand was thirteenth in its population weighted usage of medication in 14 classes in 2009 and also in 2013.

The drugs studied were selected on the basis that the conditions treated had high incidence, prevalence and/or mortality, caused significant long-term morbidity and incurred high levels of expenditure and significant developments in prevention or treatment had been made in the last 10 years.

It is thought that this reduced sales over the Internet and was safer as men could be referred for medical advice if appropriate.

[35] Most emergency and non-urgent ambulance transportation is carried out by the charitable organisation St John New Zealand.