Waitlists for scans, colonoscopies, and heart tests have fallen sharply over the past year, with Health New Zealand exceeding the Government’s delivery target for additional procedures to address long wait lists, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

Last year, the Government confirmed that it would deliver an additional 75,000 procedures across radiology, colonoscopy, cardiac, and colposcopy services. The results for that period are:

89,039 additional procedures delivered across these services, more than 14,000 above target
Total waitlists down 21 per cent
Long waits down 43 per cent

“This is what happens when we set clear targets and accountability. These results represent thousands of New Zealanders receiving the tests they need sooner than they otherwise would have,” Mr Brown says.

“The greatest improvement has been for those waiting longest. A year ago, tens of thousands of New Zealanders were waiting longer than they should for the tests they needed. That number has fallen by 43 per cent.”

Waitlist reductions for diagnostic services include:

CT down 48 per cent
MRI down 33 per cent
Coronary angiography down 29 per cent
Surveillance colonoscopy down 14 per cent
Colposcopy and echocardiography down 9 per cent

“CT and MRI are among the most frequently ordered scans in the health system, so improvements there reach the greatest number of patients. Nearly half of the CT waitlist and a third of the MRI waitlist have been cleared in twelve months.

“Demand grew over the same period, including a 10 per cent rise in urgent CT and MRI referrals. Waitlists fell despite that increase, which shows the reductions came from delivering more, not just working through an existing backlog.

“Reducing waitlists while demand increases is a considerably harder result to achieve, and it demonstrates a genuine improvement in productivity.”

The results were delivered through the $65 million Diagnostic Improvement Plan, which was aimed at reducing long waitlists for critical diagnostic procedures in 2025/26. It enabled Health New Zealand to maximise capacity in its own hospitals while also using private providers to deliver more diagnostic services for patients.

“Maximising capacity in our hospitals is thanks to the hard work of frontline staff, who have delivered additional clinics to see more patients. I want to acknowledge the APEX union for its engagement with Health New Zealand, which has played a key role in delivering that extra capacity.

“The programme has also been supported by targeted workforce growth, with expanded training places in radiology, echo-sonography, nurse colposcopy, and nurse endoscopy, alongside investment in new data platforms, ensuring we can meet future demand.

“The priority over the past year has been getting waitlists down. There is still more to do, and too many New Zealanders are still waiting too long, but waitlists have come down significantly and we are making real progress.

“These results show what is possible when the system is focused on delivery. The task now is to build on that, with more scans and tests planned this year and a continued focus on New Zealanders getting the tests they need, when they need them.”