More cancer patients in the Taupō region can now receive treatment closer to home, following an expansion of chemotherapy services at Taupō Hospital, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

In an August 9 statement, Brown said Taupō Hospital’s chemotherapy clinic had doubled its operating days and now ran two days a week, for the first time in more than 20 years.

“This expansion reflects growing demand, driven by the Government’s $604 million investment in Pharmac to fund new cancer medicines and treatments.”

That investment was delivering broader access to medicines such as Keytruda, an immunotherapy drug publicly funded for melanoma, bowel and bladder cancer.

“More people in Taupō can now access the life-saving medicines they need, and that’s driving increased demand for treatment locally.”

Brown said in the first half of 2025, 439 treatments, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, were delivered to Taupō-based patients – up 39% from 315 in the same period last year.

“To meet this demand, specialist nurses travel from Rotorua to deliver chemotherapy in Taupō, saving patients the need to make the trip themselves.

“Some of these treatments take just as long to administer as the return drive to Rotorua. Bringing care closer to home doesn’t just save time – it eases the burden on patients and their families. It means fewer people having to take time off work, organise childcare, or travel long distances just to access the treatment they need.

“This service also benefits patients living further afield, with those in places like Tūrangi able to halve their travel time by going to Taupō instead of Rotorua.”

The long-term plan was to expand chemotherapy services at Taupō Hospital to five days a week as demand continued to grow.

Health Minister Simeon Brown. Photo / Mark Mitchell

“Delivering faster access to cancer treatment is a key focus for the Government, which is why it’s one of our five national health targets,” Brown said.