7354 (2026). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

7354 (2026). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: Have any discretionary availability payments been made to online GP service providers to cover rostering costs of the Government's 24/7 online GP service broken down by date and amount?

Hon Simeon Brown: The Government’s new Online GP Care service is a demand driven service which ensures New Zealanders can get timely medical advice and treatment when in-person appointments aren’t available. This is all part of our goal to fix the basics and build the future. With this initiative, our focus is on ensuring New Zealanders can access healthcare when they need it. Online GP Care is already supporting tens of thousands of people, and it is an important part of our plan to deliver a more accessible and responsive health system that puts patients at the centre. I am advised that, as part of establishing the service, a discretionary availability payment was provided from 1 July to 31 August 2025 to support providers to manage anticipated increased demand following the launch of the service. In total, $511,930 was paid to six providers. A further discretionary payment was provided from 1 September to 31 October 2025 to support overnight service coverage, with $215,769 paid to two providers.