'Still room' to expand pharmacists' healthcare services, Labour leader says

Labour's leader has hinted his party may expand pharmacists' healthcare services, and hire more doctors and nurses.

Pressure on emergency departments is growing, forcing Health New Zealand to add extra hospital beds to meet winter demand.

Chris Hipkins told Morning Report a Labour government would focus on preventative healthcare.

He pointed to its campaign policies of three free GP visits and free prescriptions.

"Free doctors' visits is something that we want to do more of, and there's still room, I think, to do more in the pharmacist care space," he said.

The government this year allowed pharmacies to directly prescribe common treatments, and last month boosted the scheme in a bid to reduce pressure on other parts of the health system.

Hipkins said his party would also improve hospital infrastructure and grow the workforce.

Hospitals were rundown and the government cut the maintenance budget, he said.

"We need to focus on making sure that the hospitals are fit for purpose and that they have the staffing that they need," he said.

"The government's hiring freeze that they had in place for much of the first couple of years that they were in government's done a lot of damage."

Hipkins would not reveal how many more hospital workers Labour would hire, if elected.

"We've got a good workforce policy that we've had under development. We'll set that out shortly," he said.

This year's Budget delivered funding for hospital upgrades, more beds and a new IT system to boost cyber security.