The National Party has promised longer post-natal stays, free steady glucose screens for kids with kind 1 diabetes and extra coaching locations for psychiatrists and scientific psychologists if elected to energy on the election.

The insurance policies would price a complete of $134.3 million over 4 years, in accordance with National’s coverage doc. Its total well being coverage initiatives would price $1.2 billion over 4 years.

The announcement comes as a part of the discharge of the get together’s coverage doc Better Health Outcomes, which incorporates different well being bulletins the get together has made, corresponding to offering entry to 13 currently-unfunded most cancers remedies.

National well being spokesman Dr Shane Reti mentioned the coverage was “not about ideology or bureaucracy”, however about sensible measures that will enhance the best way the well being system labored.

He mentioned regardless of a $29.7 billion spend on well being this yr, outcomes within the well being system had gone “backwards” underneath Labour with longer wait instances, “plunging” immunisation charges, and an exhausted well being workforce.

“I am dismayed by the reports I regularly receive from health workers and patients about their experiences.

“The health system can work so much better than it does. It has dedicated, professional staff who need a government that knows how to get things done.”

He said a National government would deliver a strong economy to allow investment in public services, like a “world-class health system” with lower waiting times and better maternal services.

“Many women do not realise they are already entitled to a 48-hour stay in a post-natal facility after the birth of their baby, and at times feel pressured to leave early.

“National will invest an additional $19 million a year to extend free postnatal stays to three days and ring-fence this funding to ensure those who want it, receive their full entitlement.”

He said that was on top of the party’s commitment to make student loan repayments of up to $4500 a year for midwives and nurses who stayed working in their profession after graduation, a measure aimed at helping boost the health workforce.

National also pledged to provide free Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) to children and adolescents under the age of 18 with Type 1 diabetes, he said.

He said there were between 15,000 and 25,000 people in New Zealand with the condition which was usually diagnosed in childhood or adolescence.

“It is a devastating diagnosis for a family, but CGMs have revolutionised diabetes management, reducing the risk of long-term complications.

“National will allocate $5.2 million a year to give kids free access to this modern technology to manage their diabetes and, at the same time, provide savings worth up to $50 a week for a family with a diabetic child.”

National psychological well being spokesman Matt Doocey mentioned his get together would practice extra psychiatrists by growing the variety of psychiatric registrar locations to 50 a yr on common (up from round 37) and double the variety of scientific psychologists being educated annually from 40 to 80 over the following 4 years.

It was geared toward assembly an acute scarcity in psychological well being professionals, he mentioned.

“To help meet the acute shortage of mental health professionals, National will train more

“This will be a significant investment into the mental health workforce which has been forgotten about by this Labour Government.”

National’s health policy

According to the party, these are the key parts of its health policy:

Setting health targets aimed at delivering “higher, quicker and extra dependable” healthcare, together with quicker most cancers remedy, improved immunisations and shorter stays in emergency departments

Funding 13 new most cancers remedies and dashing up approvals of latest medicines

Improving most cancers administration for breast, ovarian, bowel, and prostate most cancers

Extending free postnatal stays for all moms of new-born infants to 3 days

Providing free steady glucose screens to kind 1 diabetics aged underneath 18

Delivering extra nurses, midwives, medical doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists to cut back wait instances and enhance well being outcomes

Funding group organisations like Gumboot Friday to extend entry to psychological well being providers