National on Health

National says it will deliver a further $604 million for Pharmac medicines, funded by reducing foreign aid outside the Pacific. It plans to lower the free bowel screening age to 50 by 2029, complete free breast screening to age 74 by 2029, launch prostate and lung cancer screening pilots, deliver free cervical screening from March 2027, extend regular prescriptions to 12 months, and establish a Healthy Kiwis Programme to double active prescriptions by 2030.

• Deliver a further $604 million uplift in Pharmac's medicines budget
• Extend regular prescriptions to 12 months from next year – saving you time and money
• Lower the free bowel screening age to 50 by 2029 backed by additional colonoscopies
• Complete the free breast screening extension to age 74 by 2029
• Launch new screening pilots for prostate and lung cancer
• Deliver free cervical screening for all women aged 25 to 69 from March 2027
• Set a national target for clinical trials in New Zealand, with a focus on cancer and rare disorders
• Establish the Healthy Kiwis Programme expanding active prescriptions with a target to double the number of people receiving them by 2030

Summarised neutrally from National’s own official policy (as at 2026-10-09) and checked by an editor. Nothing is paraphrased without the source linked. Read the original ↗ Politika is non-partisan. Compare all parties on Health →