An extra $3 billion is going into health sector over the next four years, including $75 million in 2009/10.

This at a time when the world is experiencing the largest economic decline since World War II, finance minister Bill English said this afternoon.

Budget announcements affecting the health sector include:

• $245 million over four years for capital infrastructure
• $185.7 million extra over four years for subsidised medicines, including $46.9 million for Herceptin
• $103.5 million extra over four years to boost maternity services
• $100 million over four years towards the New Zealand Insulation Fund
• $89.5 million extra over four years for aged residential care facilities and respite care
• $70 million over four years for extra health professions for elective surgery
• $60 million over four years for hospice and palliative care
• $45.5 million extra over four years to devolve some hospital services to primary care
• $37.2 million over four years to help securely care and rehabilitate offenders with an intellectual disability outside of the criminal justice system
• $26 million of Mental Health Blueprint money over four years for the treatment of eating disorders
• $25 million for new medical training places (from Vote Education and Social Development)
• $17.5 million over four years for extra GP training places
• $15.3 million over two years starting in 20011/12 into voluntary bonding for hard to staff health professions and locations
• $4 million over four years for training health professionals for rural areas.