Government defends decision not to fund cancer drugs on Budget Day

The health minister is defending the government's approach to funding cancer drugs after initially not delivering on its promise on Budget Day.

The National Party promised to fund 13 different cancer treatments on the campaign trail in 2023, but the election pledge was left out of the Budget in May, leaving cancer patients devastated.

But on Monday, the coalition government announced a $600 million dollar cash infusion for Pharmac for over four years.

It was estimated the boost will mean the drug buying agency could fund 26 new cancer treatments and 28 other treatments, benefiting about 175,000 people a year.

Health Minister Dr Shane Reti told Checkpoint up to seven treatments from the governments campaign list of 13 cancer treatments would be funded, "the other six will be equivalent or in some cases even better."

The roll out plan would start around October or November this year, he said.

But he said the final choice to choose what drugs would be funded would be up to Pharmac and its clinical teams.

The money for the treatments would be coming from a pre-commitment to Budget 2025, Reti said.

"There will still be funds for [Budget 2025]. But what we've also talked about is an ongoing desire across all of government, including health, to continue to strive for efficiency.

"We actually don't need cuts to cover it, because this is a pre commitment to [Budget 2025], but hand in hand [we] will continue to look for savings as every ministry is through the health portfolio."

Reti said the reason why the government was not able to announce the funding on Budget Day this year was due to the implementation stage taking longer than the government anticipated.

"It was tricky to calculate well if we bring this up, which medicines could come forward first, which ones would actually need IV infusions. Do we have enough seats? Do we have enough chemo nurses? That was where we needed to get this absolutely right and have the right figure," he said.

He said he did not think the government's announcement on Budget Day was a mistake.

"I don't think it's a mistake for New Zealanders to have improved health outcomes and better cancer management. Could we have been more clear in our communications? Yes, of course and we would do that differently."

'It's been a while to get us here'

The Cancer Society told Checkpoint that public support for funding was the turning point for the government.

"I think that the government heard loud and clear that really vulnerable people, in this case cancer patients, are not political footballs," chief executive Dr Rachael Hart said.

"I'm really proud of the of the sector and of the countless families who used their voice over the previous months to get this across the line."

She said there had been lots of patients on edge waiting to hear about funding.

It took about seven years in New Zealand for a medicine to be approved as an option for investment through Pharmac, Hart said.

"That's far longer than than you know, that's almost twice the length of time than Australia or the UK. We know that the process of approving medicines is fast lowering New Zealand."

"It's been a while to get us here, but we're very glad to have the announcement about the about the cancer drugs coming down the pipeline."

Dr Hart warned that the announcement underscored the urgent need for further reforms within Pharmac "to ensure this situation is never repeated".

The establishment of a more efficient and transparent model and budget allocation for new, life-saving medicines was particularly crucial, she said.

"It is essential that Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora simultaneously addresses the infrastructure required to administer these treatments.

"Without the necessary facilities and healthcare professionals, the availability of modern cancer medicines would be a hollow victory."

Meanwhile, the Breast Cancer Foundation said they did not know what the government's funding boost meant in real terms yet.

"This is fantastic news for Kiwis with cancer and we're excited Minister Reti mentioned breast cancer will be included.

"We don't know what this means yet but we're desperately hoping we, and these patients, can have some certainty soon."

Its chief executive Ah-Leen Rayner said there were two breast cancer drugs that would make a "massive difference" and have the same or higher clinical benefit as the ones the government campaigned on.

"There are two breast cancer drugs that would make a massive difference and have the same or higher clinical benefit as the ones the Government had campaigned on - we will keep pushing so that women can have these treatments that will give them longer or better lives."

Funding being 'borrowed' from next year's budget - Labour

But Labour Party has slammed the coalition government for the way it has chosen to fund the initiative.

"The funding for cancer medicines was supposed to come from scrapping universal free prescriptions in Budget 2024," said its leader Chris Hipkins.

"Now it's being borrowed from next year's Budget instead.

"Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis are treating the Budget process like an Afterpay scheme, buy now pay later."

Hipkins said while he was relieved Pharmac would have a boost to buy medicines for New Zealanders, he believed there were many people who deserved an apology from the Prime Minister.

"He is yet to say sorry for the anguish he has caused people suffering from cancer up and down the country while they waited for the government to deliver on their promises."

Meanwhile, the Green Party said while it welcomed the funding for more cancer treatments, it called for more to be done to address health inequities.

"We know that not everyone in Aotearoa has access to support - far from it. We also know that those left behind or let down by our health system are often Māori or Pasifika," said its co-leader Marama Davidson.

"At every point in the chain, our health system fails to provide culturally appropriate and equitable care for Māori. This is borne out in the way that Māori life expectancy rates lag significantly behind Pākehā. This is unacceptable."