An open letter on behalf of 16 cancer organisations has called for the Government to “make good” on its commitment to fund 13 new cancer drugs , which were promised by National before the election. Addressed to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon , Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Associate Minister of Health David Seymour, the letter said cancer patients and advocates “sat in disbelief” when Budget 2024 was announced. The National Party campaigned on funding, from this year, 13 cancer treatments available in Australia, but these were not announced as part of Budget 2024 .
“We have now learned that those 13 medicines may not be funded for at least a year,” the letter read. “Patients don’t have a year to wait and will sadly have to look at all the heartbreaking scenarios your party wanted to put an end to. Bowel cancer patients have already been waiting for 22 years, the last time a new medicine was funded to treat them.
” The letter called for Luxon, Willis and Seymour to “make good” on their commitment to fund the 13 new medicines “with the utmost urgency”. “We know many New Zealanders voted for you because you stated you would fund the new cancer medicines. They are devastated that you have not honoured this commitment of all the commitments you made.
Unlike other promises, lives will be lost if these medicines are not funded,” the letter read. It welcomed the opportunity for cancer organisations to work with the Government to address New Zealand.
