32205 (2026). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

Written Question

Published date: 18 Sep 2026

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	32205 (2026)
Question asked:	16 Jul 2026
Member asking:	Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall
Portfolio:	Minister of Health
Minister replying:	Hon Simeon Brown
Answer received:	13 Sep 2026
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_32205_2026
Document guid:	b3de8812-9a32-48e0-b887-c8e237b233d9

32205 (2026). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: What analysis has been done of the wait times for ultrasound access for women with suspected ovarian cancer across the country and within rural areas, if any?

Hon Simeon Brown: I am advised that Health New Zealand has a range of initiatives underway to improve ultrasound access for women. This includes work to ensure consistent national access to pelvic ultrasound through Community Referred Radiology, implementation of e-referral tools and referral routing through Health NZ RIS, improving access for patients with greatest clinical need, a targeted Enhanced Access initiative for underserved populations, and the diagnostic improvement programme.