The ACT Party plans to keep more general practitioners in New Zealand and attract more from overseas, with a $400 million funding boost.
The party said the money - a $100 million boost a year on top of normal capitation increases - would increase the supply of appointments by keeping the doctors New Zealand already had, rather than subsidising demand.
ACT Tāmaki candidate James Christmas said, with 35% of GPs intending to retire within five years and 18% considering a move overseas, staying needed to be made more attractive.
"Too many New Zealanders can't get a GP appointment when they need one," he said. "In 2024/25, one in four adults and one in five children missed a GP visit, because the wait was too long.
"That means parents worrying about sick children, people putting off treatment and patients ending up in emergency departments unnecessarily.
"ACT's funding will help practices offer competitive remuneration, retain experienced staff and encourage doctors to remain in practice, rather than retire early or move overseas."
Labour is campaigning on three free GP visits a year, and a scheme that allows doctors and nurse practitioners to access low-interest loans to set up new practices or buy into existing ones.
Christmas said the three free GP visits policy would only make things worse.
"There's no point promising more free appointments, if there aren't enough doctors to provide them."
ACT also believed its extra funding could encourage GPs to restore their average hours to previous levels, saying GPs work an average of 33.9 hours a week, down from 36.4 a decade ago.
The Medical Council currently recognises 29 countries as having health systems comparable to New Zealand, meaning doctors trained in those countries can access a streamlined registration process.
Christmas said ACT would build on that progress by "reforming and streamlining" medical regulators to get more safe and competent professionals into the health system.
SHARE ME