The Government is focused on getting cancer action plan right, Health Minister David Clark says amid complaints it's taking too long and Kiwis are suffering because of it.
Getting the jump on the Government, though, National Party Leader Simon Bridges yesterday said a National-led Government would establish a new National Cancer Agency and ring-fence a further $200 million for Pharmac to spend on anti-cancer drugs.
Mr Bridges also took a swipe at the Government, saying it has under-spent on Pharmac drug funding and not kept pace with inflation - despite the agency receiving a funding boost of more than 13 per cent last year.
"New Zealanders shouldn't have to pack up their lives and go to other countries for cancer treatment," he said.
It comes after Southland man Blair Vining delivered a 140,000-signature petition to Government last week.
The Southland man, who has bowel cancer, wants the agency to oversee cancer care throughout the country.
Mr Clark told TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning he'd spoken with Mr Vining and his family, adding "they haven't received the care that you would expect them to have received".
"I accept that the health system as a whole has been underfunded, heavily underfunded, for the last decade and as a Government we are committed to building the public health sector again, and...that is one of my key priorities," he said. "We need a stronger public health system to make sure no matter who you are, no matter where you live, you can get the care that you need."
He said New Zealanders can expect an announcement on its cancer action plan in coming weeks, but he would not preempt the announcement by giving any specifics away today.
The Government has been working on its action plan since the start of this year, after the previous strategy plan ran out at the end of last year.
"We are very focused on making sure our cancer action plan is finalised, and to make sure that it's right because we want to back it up by action and we want to hit the ground running," Mr Clark said.
"The people living with cancer, I think we owe it to them to make sure we get this plan right."
One of the biggest issues is the Government is looking into is people receiving different levels of care depending where in the country they live, Mr Clark said.
"We've inherited a situation where there isn't the same high level of care across the country and we're determined to do something about that."
Mr Clark said he welcomes the National Party now taking an interest in cancer after they cancelled the cancer control agency four years ago.
Dr Chris Jackson, who serves as medical director for the organisation, talked about National’s announcement it would establish a new cancer agency.
Cancer Society medical director Dr Chris Jackson earlier joined Breakfast and also said he welcomes National's support, but that cancer planning should be in hands of experts - not politicians.
New Zealand is falling behind other nations, he said, and experts need to take charge for there to be long-term progress and not just investments into the issue of the day.
"If we don't do something soon, the entire health system is going to be crippled by burden of cancer," he said. "Unless we do something to turn this bus around, people are going to continue to suffer."
Dr Jackson said it was good to see cross-party support, but he added that it has not always been the case. National politicians were the ones who changed their minds on central leadership, he said.
Now DHBs throughout the country were "doing their own thing", Dr Jackson said. "Something's got to change because what we've got now is a bit of a mess."
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