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International Doctors Pathway
Up to 100 overseas-trained doctors will be supported in supervised roles in primary care over two years. Health New Zealand will be expanding its existing two-year training programme to give internationally trained doctors the opportunity to gain full registration through a primary care pathway.
This builds on the previous successful pilot programme run out of the Waikato District.
Increasing Graduate Nurses in Primary Care
Health New Zealand will provide funding for primary care employers to recruit and support up to 400 graduate registered nurses a year. The funding will incentivise recruitment of registered nurses in primary care (including rural) locations, where we know it can be harder for people to access health services.
Digital Access to 24/7 Primary Care
A new digital service will provide all New Zealanders with access to video consultations with New Zealand-registered clinicians, such as GPs and Nurse Practitioners, for urgent problems 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Primary Care Funding Boost
Extra funding of $95 million per year will be made available from July 2025 for general practices to improve access to their services, provide more specialist treatment to patients, and increase delivery against a set of key health targets. This funding will incentivise general practices to provide more services, and improve access to primary care appointments for New Zealanders and reduce cost growth in the hospital sector.
This is in addition to the capitation funding (a population-based funding formula) increase that general practice receives annually.
Funding to Train Additional Medical Students
This initiative provides for training 25 more doctors each year across the medical schools in Otago and Auckland, beginning in 2026.
Graduate Doctors Primary Care Pathway
This new initiative provides 50 full-year placements in primary care a year for New Zealand-trained medical graduates, giving them greater exposure to primary care settings. This funding will go toward supporting providers, clinical supervision, and coordination costs.
Nurse Practitioner Training
Up to 120 nurses will be funded to train as nurse practitioners specialising in primary care, supporting more nurses to upskill.
Advanced Education for Primary Care Nurses
This initiative will provide funding to primary care nurses and their employers to encourage more primary care nurses to upskill and pursue advanced education, including nurse prescriber training. Up to 120 primary care nurses will be funded through advanced education, including nurse prescriber training.
