Wellington patients given petrol vouchers to travel north for scans
Thursday, 5 March 2026
Nearly 300 patients from the Wellington region have travelled to Whanganui for MRI scans since mid-July, each offered a $150 petrol voucher to make the trip.
One Kāpiti resident, who asked not to be named, said she had been waiting about six months for an appointment at Wellington Hospital when she received a call offering another option.
“If I was prepared to drive up there, they said there was a petrol voucher available. You’re so desperate to get it done that of course you consider it — but it does feel like a bribe.”
She ultimately accepted the offer, worried her condition would worsen the longer she waited.
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“I just wanted the scan. You start to feel that time matters more than the inconvenience.”
Health New Zealand has confirmed that since July 14, 2025, 288 patients from the Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley and Wairarapa districts have attended MRI appointments in Whanganui. A spokesperson said $150 was the standard voucher offered to help cover travel costs.
Chris Lowry, Executive Regional Director – Central, said a “regional approach helps ensure patients receive timely care.
“Health New Zealand is actively working to reduce wait times for imaging through workforce recruitment and training, expanding reporting capacity, investment in imaging technology and workflow improvements.”
The scheme is about giving patients the option to be seen as quickly as possible, she said, with the travel voucher “intended as practical support to reduce the cost burden for those who choose to accept an earlier appointment outside their local hospital.”
The move comes amid ongoing pressure on health services in the capital. Wellington Hospital’s emergency department has been hitting critical “code red” status, meaning too many patients for staff to deal with, almost twice every day on average.
In 2024, RNZ reported the hospital was operating with only one MRI scanner, raising concerns about capacity and resilience in the event of breakdowns or maintenance.
Last week, a Health NZ spokesperson said there were three MRI machines within the Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley district. Across the broader Central Region there were seven in total.
While Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall declined to comment, Health Minister Simeon Brown said the Government’s focus was on ensuring New Zealanders could access diagnostic tests as quickly as possible.
“That’s why we’re delivering 75,000 additional diagnostic procedures this year through our $65 million Diagnostic Improvement Plan,” he said.
Brown said Health NZ also had initiatives to reduce long wait lists “that grew significantly under Labour”, including offering patients the option to travel if it meant being seen sooner.
“However, our focus remains on strengthening access to diagnostic services within people’s own communities so New Zealanders can get the care they need, when and where they need it.”
For the Kāpiti patient, the scan itself was straightforward even if the logistics of more than doubling the travel time were not.
What unsettled her most was the unsigned note accompanying the $150 voucher.
“We sincerely thank you for taking the time to travel to another location for your scan,” it read.
“Your willingness to accommodate this appointment helps us ensure you receive timely and thorough care. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
“Of course I’m grateful to get it done,” she said of the MRI. “But it does make you wonder why this is what healthcare looks like now — ‘sincerely thanking you’ for driving off in the other direction.”