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Five targets for the health system
In March 2024 the Government announced health targets for: faster access to cancer treatment, improved childhood immunisation rates, shorter stays in emergency departments, and shorter wait times for first specialist assessments and elective treatment.
See below for details about the targets.
The health targets are reflected in the Government Policy Statement on Health 2024-2027, which sets the direction of travel for the health system.
These targets, which came into effect on 1 July 2024, will support the delivery of better health outcomes for New Zealanders and improve the performance of our health services throughout the country.
Health New Zealand has published high-level implementation plans, which set out the activities and milestones to make progress towards achieving the targets by 2030.
Health target results
Health New Zealand will publish results against health targets every quarter.
The results can be found on Health New Zealand’s website.
Monitoring of health targets will sit within a wider suite of monitoring on health system performance by the Ministry.
See the latest Health Target results
Government targets
Two health targets (shorter stays in emergency departments and shorter wait times for elective treatment) are in the Government targets with results published quarterly.
Primary care health target
On 25 July 2025, Minister of Health Hon Simeon Brown announced the Government would be introducing a new national health target to drive timely access to primary care.
The new primary care health target will take effect from 1 July 2026.
To find out more see Primary health care target.
