The New Zealand government has cauterised a broken election promise, funding cancer drugs that were overlooked in last month's budget.
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Cancer patients were left seething by the coalition's first budget given the National party promised to fund 13 cancer treatments during last year's election campaign.
The misstep overshadowed Finance Minister Nicola Willis' attempts to sell her budget.
For days, headlines and news bulletins were full of Kiwis battling cancer who believed the government would fund their live-saving treatment, only to have the rug pulled from beneath them.
Just 25 days after the budget, Health Minister Shane Reti has announced a $NZ604 million ($A556 million) four-year funding boost which will begin next year.
"I apologise for the uncertainty this has caused patients and their families," Dr Reti said.
Dr Reti said the funding would go to medicines regulator and puchaser Pharmac, which estimates around 175,000 Kiwis would benefit from "up to 26 cancer treatments as part of an overall package of up to 54 more new medicines".
Sufferers of liver, kidney, bowel, blood, breast, lung, liver, bladder, melanoma, head and neck cancers will be among those to benefit, above and beyond National's election promise.
While National promised the new treatments would roll out from July 1, Dr Reti said the first drugs will be available from October, with "most" available within 12 months.
Prime Minister Chris Luxon, appearing alongside Dr Reti, was asked several times whether he would also apologise, declining to do so.
"The scope of who will be impacted and when you think about the fact we're able to get these drugs starting to roll out in October, November, I think it's a pretty special day," Mr Luxon said.
Australian Associated Press
