Budget 2025: Rural communities to benefit from urgent care services funding boost

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Health Minister Simeon Brown at East Care Urgent Care Clinic in Botany for the pre-budget announcement. Photo / Dean Purcell

Kiwis living in rural and remote communities will benefit from a funding boost to urgent and after-hours healthcare services, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says.

In a pre-Budget announcement on Sunday afternoon, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Health Minister Simeon Brown detailed new 24/7 urgent care services in Counties Manukau, Tauranga, Whangārei, Palmerston North and Dunedin and new daytime urgent care services in Lower Hutt, Invercargill, and Timaru — among other investments.

Doocey said access to healthcare was one of the biggest concerns for people living in rural and remote communities.

“Our Government is committed to ensuring all New Zealanders can get the care they need, when they need it – no matter where they live.

“This investment will bring healthcare closer to home for more people.”

The Budget would invest $164 million over four years into urgent and after-hours care nationwide.

Doocey said this meant that 98% of Kiwis could access these services “within one hour’s drive of their home”.

The funding includes targeted support for more than 70 rural and remote communities, including:

• Extended after-hours;
• 24/7 on-call in-person clinical support;
• Improved access to diagnostics and medicines.

Changes would be rolled out over the next two years to ensure services were tailored to the specific needs of each community.

This year, new services would be trialled in Twizel, Tākaka, Tūrangi, Te Kūiti, Coromandel, and Great Barrier Island before being rolled out nationwide.

Doocey said rural New Zealanders deserved access to timely, quality healthcare.

“This investment will reduce travel times, improve access to services, and help take pressure off our emergency departments.”

He said the investment would deliver practical improvements that made a real difference for people living in rural and remote areas.

“Geography shouldn’t be a barrier to getting the healthcare you need.”