Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
Twenty per cent of GP referrals to specialists are being declined across several districts, but the extent of the problem nationally is unknown as Health NZ doesn’t collate this information.
A new report by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists compared data from seven districts and found declined referrals increased from 101,962 in 2023 to 110,916 in 2024 and an estimated 112,348 in 2025.
If the trend remained consistent across every district it would mean 255,000 people are declined first specialist appointments (FSAs) every year.
“FSA wait times are a key health target for this Government and our report shows that more and more are being declined,” ASMS Senior Policy and Research Advisor Virginia Mills says.
“This is due to chronic public health workforce shortages and increases in acute admissions. Health funding is not responding to population changes and unmet need.”
Despite increasing declined referrals, the report found the treatment waiting list has not substantially declined.
“Even with the current push to outsource planned care to the private sector, the workforce shortages and limited capacity to deliver planned care are too great to overcome,” Mills says.
The report concluded:
- Workforce targets must accompany FSA and planned care targets
- Transparency from outsourced procedures is required including cost, type and volumes.
- Data collection and reporting from Health NZ must improve.
“The fact that Health NZ does not collate and publish this vital information means Minister of Health Simeon Brown is making decisions based on guess work and assumptions.
“Health NZ must do better to report its basic functionality which is, how many people get treatment and how many get declined.”