Emergency / Health Forty-three new EMTs graduate in Auckland as St John works to lift frontline capacity The Residential EMT programme, created during COVID-19, is now a core pipeline into ambulance care, with 43 new officers joining Auckland crews and nationwide vacancies still to fill.
Health / Government Pharmac funds nivolumab–ipilimumab before melanoma surgery, aiming to cut treatment time and ease clinic pressure The new funding route opens from 1 May 2026 for resectable stage 3B–4 melanoma, with Pharmac expecting fewer post-op infusions and about 1,000 clinic hours saved each year.
Health / New Zealand WorkSafe issues safety alert on communication devices for people working alone The regulator says businesses must plan how lone workers will call for help, including when coverage drops or check-ins are missed.
Government / Health WorkSafe issues safety alert on light utility vehicles used at work The regulator is urging firms to revisit how side-by-side and other small utility vehicles are selected, maintained and operated.
Government / Health Government lifts mileage rate for home support workers to 82.5c/km, tied to $3 petrol threshold Increase takes effect today for up to 12 months, covering Health NZ, MSD and ACC-contracted providers as fuel costs climb.
Law Enforcement / Health Stolen asbestos may be mistaken for pounamu after Panmure burglary, Police warn A box containing double-bagged asbestos was taken from a Jellicoe Road workplace; Police say anyone who opens it risks exposure and are asking for it to be handed in.
Health / New Zealand Most lakes still in poor health as E. coli trends worsen in rivers, Stats NZ reports Phosphorus levels are improving at many river sites, but E. coli is trending up and nitrogen remains widely above guideline values.
Health / New Zealand Bowel screening age drops to 58 across central and lower North Island, with MidCentral next in line Government widens access while rolling out a new triage test to ease colonoscopy pressure and pick up cancers earlier.
Government / Health Government updates diabetes diagnosis criteria; 34,500 to be reclassified by July The National Diabetes Roadmap promises earlier intervention and wider access to care as costs rise, with diagnostic criteria shifting thousands from prediabetes to diabetes; the exact new threshold was not disclosed.
Government / Health Mental health wait times hit targets as frontline workforce tops goal, Government says The Government says 514 new mental health and addiction professionals were trained in the past year, funding has shifted toward earlier help, and more people are being seen within target timeframes.
Health / Government Health targets improve, but one in four ED patients still wait longer than six hours Quarterly figures show gains across all five targets, while higher demand means many patients are still missing timeframes.
New Zealand / Health HDC finds systemic failings and doctor breaches in death after endovascular brain procedure The Deputy Commissioner ruled Health NZ and the lead interventional neuroradiologist breached the Code after a 51-year-old woman died following an embolisation; staff said they didn’t feel able to speak up, and the hospital has since overhauled practices and equipment.
