One Third Of New Zealanders Waiting More Than Two Weeks To See GP - Poll

Wednesday, 2 April 2025, 8:54 pm
Article: RNZ

Ruth Hill, Reporter

One in three people are waiting more than two weeks for a GP appointment, while more than one in six wait three or four weeks, or even longer, according to the first RNZ-Reid Research poll.

The survey of 1000 people - between 21 and 27 March - found about 60 percent were able to get a GP appointment within a week.

Health Minister Simeon Brown said long wait times meant some people were not seeing a GP at all.

"The number of people who say 'timeliness of appointments' has become their major concern or the major reason why they haven't accessed their GP - that's increased to about 25 percent of people from 10 or 11 percent.

"So, accessing GPs is a top priority for the government and that's why we've taken a number of actions and we're going to continue to look at what needs to be done."

The minister was quoting from the latest New Zealand Health Survey, which was also referenced in Health NZ's [https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/publications/clinical-quality-and-safety-review-longitudinal-data Clinical Quality and Safety Review last week.

It went on to note that access was "inequitable", with Māori, Pasifika and disabled people more likely to report not visiting a GP due to wait times.

Brown said the government was prioritising primary care, with a boost to capitation funding (the money GPs receive for enrolled patients), telehealth support and various workforce initiatives.

He also wants to introduce a target for wait times in primary care, and has asked officials for advice on that.

But General Practice NZ chair Bryan Betty - a Porirua GP - urged caution.

"If you put in a target that pushes the system toward acute care, you may push out chronic care for things like diabetes, heart disease, mental health issues, and that is a bad place to be.

"We have to be very, very careful about targets."

NZ College of GPs president Samantha Murton said when Britain tried to institute a 48-hour target under Tony Blair's Labour government 20 years ago, it backfired badly.

Clinics refused to accept any bookings more than two days in advance.

"So, that was a bit disastrous," Murton said.

"The only outcomes we know make a difference are: comprehensiveness of care, the continuity of care and the availability.

"But 'access' is not everything - access is about accessing the right person as well."

Patients were waiting too long to see a GP because there were not enough of them, Murton said.

The reason doctors did not want to go into general practice was because funding was too low.

Victoria University research published last week showed funding in real terms had largely flat-lined since 2009.

"If this is a first step for Minister Brown heading toward a focus on primary care, which was the whole point of the health reform, then excellent.

"We just need to make sure it's not the only step."

Dr Betty agreed the government deserved credit for "starting to turn the dial".

"This will not be solved overnight, but there does need to be a focus on general practice and primary care in order to solve the problems we're now seeing the system."

Health set to be hot political issue

Politicians of all stripes are aware that health - or rather the health system - is likely to be a burning political issue in the next election.

RNZ asked Prime Minister Christopher Luxon how long he thought GP wait times were.

"It can take up to two weeks, which is why we've taken so much time working out what we can do to accelerate GP visits and support the primary care sector in particular."

Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins is MP for Remutaka, which has an acute shortage of GPs.

"It can be weeks, it can be a long time. I've heard of people waiting up to six weeks to get an appointment to see their GP, and that's clearly unacceptable."

Te Pati Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said in rural areas, it was typically "four-plus weeks" to see a GP.

"The whole cycle of not being able to get into your GP, of going to ED, of not being able to afford the pharmaceutical, is a really scary prospect of the disparity in our health system."

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson's clinic offers online appointments.

"But for a face-to-face appointment, my own experience is upwards of three weeks. But for an ailment, I remember a time when you could get an appointment that day. I think that's what we should be aiming for."

ACT leader David Seymour admitted he could not remember the last time he saw his GP.

"You should be able to get in within a week, of course sometimes it's more urgent and you need to get in within hours. I've certainly heard from people who have taken three or four weeks and very upset."

This poll of 1000 people was conducted by Reid Research, using quota sampling and weighting to ensure representative cross section by age, gender and geography. The poll was conducted through online interviews between 21-27 March 2025 and has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent at a 95 percent confidence level. The report is available here

Read more on the RNZ-Reid Research poll:

• Half of Kiwis want defence spending to increase
• Coalition in front as Labour gains ground
• Politicians react to tightening numbers
• Most voters think parents should provide school lunches
• A week of few distractions pays off for the coalition
• View all results and charts

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