Simeon Brown: Health Minister on the Government's new healthcare package - Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Government is setting up 24-7 digital healthcare in a package announced today to make it easier to see a doctor.

Providers including GPs getting incentives for supporting graduate nurses - capped at 400 annually for three years.

Health New Zealand is also putting up $285 million to incentivise GP clinics to open their books to new patients, and hit Government targets.

Health Minister Simeon Brown says they're also introducing a two-year programme to train up to 100 overseas doctors as GPs.

"Many of these people are doing jobs which are not related to their qualifications - you hear stories where some of them are driving Ubers. Actually, we want them in GP practices." 

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