The Amendment Act made changes to improve the effectiveness of health service delivery to patients by:
- amending the purpose, objectives, and functions of Health New Zealand
- increasing Health New Zealand’s focus on infrastructure
- strengthening the role of the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee (HMAC) and clarifying the role of iwi-Māori Partnership Boards (IMPBs)
- strengthening governance, strategic direction setting, planning, and monitoring arrangements.
An additional purpose was added to the Act: to ensure that patients get timely access to quality services.
The Act’s purpose is to provide for the public funding and provision of services to:
- protect, promote, and improve the health of all New Zealanders
- achieve equity by reducing health disparities among New Zealand’s population groups, in particular for Māori
- build towards healthy futures (pae ora) for all New Zealanders.
- ensure that patients get timely access to quality services.
To support the focus on delivery for patients, the Act now requires six health targets to be included in the Government Policy Statement on Health (GPS).
All health entities, including Health New Zealand, are required to give effect to health targets.
A new GPS must be in place within 18 months of the Act’s enactment, and new health strategies and the New Zealand Health Plan must be issued within 24 months.
More information
Read the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Act 2026.
Read the press release from Minister of Health Hon Simeon Brown.
