New Zealand’s $164 million health blitz: 24/7 emergency care targets to reach 98% of kiwis in one hour

New Zealanders, especially in rural and remote areas, face difficult challenges to get medical services in a timely manner when the disease strikes the disease.

Assistant Health Minister Matt Doocey said: “Access to health care is one of the biggest problems for people living in rural and remote communities.

Recognizing this key gap, Budget 2025 launched a massive investment to bring emergency medical services closer to communities across the country.
New Zealand’s 2025 budget allocated $164 million over four years to expand emergency and after-get off work care services nationwide. The investment aims to ensure that 98% of New Zealanders can access face-to-face emergency care within an hour’s drive from their homes, addressing the differences in health care availability, especially in rural and remote areas.

Munukao County will be the first taxi to be ranked, and the service may be open by the end of the year.

Main developments:

• New 24/7 Urgent Care Clinic: Plans are planned to be between the end of 2025 and mid-2026 and the facilities in Tolanga County are planned to be between the mid-2026 and mid-2027, North and Palmerston.
• Daytime emergency care: Next Hutt will receive enhanced services in the second half of 2025, with Invercargill and Timaru following in 2026.
• Rural and remote access: Improved services, including better use of diagnostics, emergency medications and 24/7 clinical support, conducted in areas such as Alexandra, Ashburton, Balclutha, Golden Bay, Gore, Gore and ōamaru.

Health Minister Simeon Brown stressed the importance of this initiative: “Intensifying emergency and after-hours care is an important part of our government’s plan to ensure timely, quality health care is available to all New Zealanders.”
Assistant Health Minister Matt Doocey stressed the benefits of rural communities, noting that the investment will bring more people closer to home, ensuring 98% of kiwi bacteria will be able to access these services within an hour of driving.
The funding complements the allocation of cost pressure from the previous budget, which includes a total of $16.68 billion in the next three budgets to fund cost pressure from the health sector.