New Zealand First has launched a wide-ranging election health policy promising to shift the health system towards prevention, with proposals covering nutrition, metabolic health, GP workloads, mental health research, vitamin C and D studies, patient choice and agricultural innovation.
NEW ZEALAND, 20 September 2026: New Zealand First has unveiled the first stage of its “Make NZ Healthy” campaign, arguing New Zealand needs to rethink a health system increasingly under pressure from chronic disease.
The party says that if returned to government after the November election, it wants prevention to play a much larger role alongside conventional treatment and medicines.
Its newly released plan contains 15 commitments ranging from teaching nutrition from primary school through to medical school to funding hospital trials involving intravenous vitamin C.
NZ First is pitching the policy as a fundamental change in direction rather than simply another increase in health spending.
NZ First says health system is treating sickness too late
At the centre of the policy is the party’s argument that New Zealand spends too much dealing with established disease and too little preventing people from becoming sick.
NZ First says New Zealand currently spends about $33 billion annually on health and cites research it says shows 59 percent of health spending goes towards treating chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, while 1.75 percent is spent on prevention.
Those figures form part of the party’s case for changing spending priorities.
NZ First describes the current approach as an “ambulance at the bottom of the cliff” and argues that increasing expenditure on medicines and treatment alone will not address the underlying causes of chronic illness.
The party says medicines would remain an essential part of healthcare under its approach, but prevention, healthier lifestyles and earlier intervention would receive greater attention.
Metabolic health becomes a priority
A major element of the proposal is a stronger focus on metabolic health.
NZ First argues metabolic health is closely connected with chronic illnesses and believes improving it could help reduce pressure on hospitals over the longer term.
The party wants healthcare policy to place greater emphasis on factors such as nutrition and lifestyle alongside existing medical treatment.
Several elements of the policy involve proposed research or reviews rather than changes to established clinical treatment.
Nutrition from primary school to medical school
Nutrition would also take a more prominent place in education.
NZ First wants nutrition promoted from primary school through to medical school, arguing that better understanding of food and health could help people make healthier decisions throughout their lives.
The party is also proposing a full independent review of New Zealand’s dietary guidelines.
Nutrition is particularly prominent in the mental health section of the policy.
NZ First wants New Zealand scientists funded to investigate whether nutritional interventions can contribute to the prevention and treatment of mental illness.
The party says nutritional approaches would not necessarily replace psychological therapies or medication where they are required, but could form part of a broader preventative approach to mental healthcare.
Vitamin C hospital trials proposed
One of the more distinctive proposals involves intravenous vitamin C.
NZ First wants investment in hospital trials examining whether intravenous vitamin C administered before and after surgery could be effective in preventing or treating infections.
The proposal is for clinical research rather than the immediate adoption of intravenous vitamin C as standard hospital treatment.
NZ First also wants a review of vitamin D, including research aimed at determining what levels are optimal for maintaining health.
Changes proposed for Medsafe and Pharmac
The party is also proposing changes involving Medsafe and Pharmac.
NZ First says it wants to remove what it describes as Medsafe and Pharmac barriers to “recognised safe nutrients”.
The precise regulatory changes required, which nutrients would qualify and how safety and effectiveness would be assessed would be important implementation questions if the policy progressed.
GPs could receive support from health coaches
Primary healthcare is another significant part of the package.
NZ First wants to reduce administrative work for general practices and what it describes as restoring greater professional autonomy for GPs.
The party also proposes bringing health coaches into primary care to work alongside doctors.
The intention is for health coaches to help patients with areas such as lifestyle changes and ongoing health management, potentially allowing GPs to concentrate more of their time on clinical care.
NZ First says the changes could help address pressure within general practice.
Nurses included in health plan
Nurses also feature in the policy.
NZ First says it wants nurses to receive fair compensation, better working conditions and access to mental health support.
The party argues that improving the health system requires attention to the people delivering frontline healthcare as well as changes to how patients are treated.
Patient choice and informed consent
The policy also places emphasis on written consent and patient choice.
NZ First wants written consent treated as a core component of healthcare and says patients should be able to make their own decisions about their health.
Informed consent is already an established principle within New Zealand healthcare. The significance of NZ First’s proposal would therefore depend on what legislative, regulatory or clinical changes the party ultimately proposes.
Health policy extends to farming
The policy also reaches into agriculture.
NZ First wants investment in agricultural innovation aimed at improving productivity, soil health, sustainability and resilience.
It also proposes research into practical alternatives to agricultural sprays that may be harmful.
Organic food producers would receive additional support under the plan.
The party is therefore linking the way food is produced with its wider focus on nutrition and preventative health.
A 15-point health programme
NZ First’s “Make NZ Healthy” announcement includes commitments to:
- Focus on metabolic health as a driver of chronic illness.
- Make written consent a core part of healthcare.
- Allow patients to make their own decisions about health.
- Embed good nutrition in the New Zealand Curriculum.
- Launch an independent review of the country’s dietary guidelines.
- Reduce administration and restore professional autonomy for GPs.
- Allow health coaches to support GPs in primary care.
- Ensure nurses receive fair compensation, better working conditions and access to mental health support.
- Fund New Zealand scientists to assess nutritional interventions for preventing and treating mental illness.
- Remove what NZ First describes as Medsafe and Pharmac barriers to recognised safe nutrients.
- Invest in hospital trials examining intravenous vitamin C before and after surgery for preventing and treating infections.
- Fund a review of vitamin D and determine optimal levels for maintaining health.
- Invest in agriculture to improve productivity, soil health, sustainability and resilience.
- Research practical alternatives to potentially harmful agricultural sprays.
- Provide greater support for organic food producers.
Health becomes another major election issue
NZ First’s announcement adds another approach to healthcare to the 2026 election debate.
Its central argument is that New Zealand cannot sustainably respond to increasing chronic illness simply by spending more once people become sick.
Instead, the party wants greater attention directed towards prevention, nutrition, metabolic health, early intervention and research.
Some proposals, particularly those involving intravenous vitamin C, nutritional interventions and regulatory changes affecting nutrients, would require further research, implementation decisions and clinical oversight before becoming part of routine healthcare.
For voters, the debate will ultimately be about more than how much New Zealand spends on healthcare. It will also involve where that money should be spent, how much emphasis should be placed on prevention and how proposed new approaches should be assessed.
Source: New Zealand First, “The Plan to Make NZ Healthy”, 20 September 2026. Additional context and reporting by Webfit News.
