The number of people waiting longer than four months for their first appointments with hospital specialists had doubled because of the pandemic, says the country's Health Minister.

And the number of people waiting longer than four months for treatment had more than trebled.

With that in mind, the government is announcing a plan to tackle hospital waiting lists around the country.

Health Minister Andrew Little says hospital waiting lists will be managed nationally under the government's plan to cut the time people who need operations and appointments have to wait.

A taskforce has been set up to over see this and includes Bay of Plenty DHB clinical director Linda Chalmers.

'Covid-19 has been hugely disruptive to hospital systems all over the world.

'In England, for example, there was a 200-fold increase in the number of people waiting for planned care for more than a year, from just over 1600 in February 2020, to more than 300,000 in November 2021.

'New Zealand has done better than most countries. Our elimination strategy not only prevented tens of thousands of deaths, it also protected our health system from being over-run, as we saw happen in countries like Italy and the United States.

'In fact, for most of the past two years, our hospitals have been free of Covid-19 and were able to keep functioning normally for long periods of time.”

The Delta variant and Omicron wave had, however, put pressure on hospitals, says Little.

The number of people waiting longer than four months for their first appointments with hospital specialists had doubled because of the pandemic, and the number of people waiting longer than four months for treatment had more than trebled.

'For people who need these procedures and appointments, having to wait is distressing.

'Now, with the benefit of having one of the most highly vaccinated populations in the world, and with a suite of new medicines available to treat Covid-19 patients and keep many of them out of hospital, we can start managing on a more business-as-usual basis.”

The Government's waiting list response is being led by interim Health New Zealand and the interim Māori Health Authority.

These organisations will become permanent entities when the Government's health reforms come into effect July 1.

Health Minister Andrew Little.

'We have an opportunity right up-front to harness one of the principal benefits of the reforms – a truly nationwide approach to the health problems that affect us all,” says Little.

'With one public health system, we have the opportunity to work together to make sure people get the treatment they need, no matter which part of the country they live in.”

The work will be overseen by a high-powered taskforce led by Counties Manukau chief medical officer and colorectal surgeon Andrew Connolly.

The taskforce will help hospitals take whatever short-term measures they can to reduce waiting times, and will be responsible for delivering a national plan by September.

'I expect a national review of all waiting lists and a reassessment of the situation of everyone on it.

'I also expect the taskforce to make full use of all health resources, including those in the private sector.

'I have been told that if we try to approach this problem in the ways we have before, it could take between three to five years to clear the planned-care backlog.

'It is my expectation that we can clear the backlog in considerably less time than that.”

Other members of the taskforce are:

• Professor Diana Sarfati, the chief executive of Te Aho o te Kahu, the Cancer Control Agency.
• Wellington GP Dr Jeff Lowe, who chairs General Practice New Zealand.
• Auckland District Health Board funding and development manager Jo Brown.
• Canterbury District Health Board chief operating officer for networks, Dan Coward.
• Canterbury District Health Board director of nursing Brenda Close.
• Bay of Plenty DHB clinical director Linda Chalmers.
• Northland DHB general and oncoplastic breast surgeon Maxine Ronald.
• Dr Kiki Maoate, a paediatric surgeon at Canterbury DHB.
• Dr Rawiri Jansen, the clinical director of the National Hauora Coalition. Dr Jansen has been appointed to the taskforce by the Interim Māori Health Authority.