Free blood testing is being rolled out for nearly 24,000 people living in Te Anau and Wānaka, giving more rural New Zealanders access to healthcare closer to home, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey say.
"While most New Zealanders have access to free blood tests, some rural communities in the South Island still have to pay because there are no local blood collection centres," Mr Brown says.
"This has meant patients in Te Anau and Wānaka have had to travel over an hour to reach a free collection centre or pay a co-payment at their local general practice if one was not funded to provide the service.
"The rollout means that 4,400 people in Te Anau and 19,350 people in Wānaka can now access blood testing free of charge at their local GP. Together, these towns will deliver approximately 25,000 free blood tests every year."
Mr Doocey says removing these cost barriers is an important step in improving access to healthcare, providing care closer to home for rural communities, and addressing a long-standing inequity between rural and urban areas.
"This initiative will lead to earlier and more timely diagnoses for people who have previously delayed testing due to travel or cost," Mr Doocey says.
"When I visited Wānaka as part of the Rural Health Roadshow, locals consistently raised concerns about having to pay for blood tests. Health Action Wānaka also highlighted the need for a local blood collection service.
"As I told the community at the time, no one should have to travel long distances or pay extra just because they live rurally. That's why we made this a priority. The Rural Health Roadshow was invaluable because it allowed me to hear directly from locals about the issues that matter most to them."
Mr Brown and Mr Doocey also acknowledge the advocacy of Southland MP Joseph Mooney and Waitaki MP Miles Anderson in improving access to rural healthcare.
"By listening to locals and removing barriers like cost and distance, we're making healthcare more accessible and ensuring rural New Zealanders get the care they need, right in their own communities," Mr Brown says.
