Health sector update: Middle East conflict fuel impacts

The Ministry of Health has issued its second health sector update (5 May 2026) on the impacts of the Middle East conflict on New Zealand's health system. New Zealand remains in Phase 1 of the Government's Fuel Response Plan with no fuel restrictions currently in place, and health services and medicines remain available.

What providers are reporting:

• Rising service delivery costs due to fuel price and supply-chain pressures
• Higher distribution costs affecting medicines, medical devices and consumables
• An increase in missed appointments, particularly among vulnerable populations and rural communities

What's being done across the sector:

• The Ministry is working with Health New Zealand and Pharmac to identify and manage emerging risks
• Providers are expanding digital services, clustering outreach visits, and some are revisiting Business Continuity Plans
• The Ministry is developing indicators to monitor impacts and support timely decision-making

What this means for general practices:

• Now is a good time to ensure patients are aware of digital appointment options (phone or video) so they can choose these where appropriate
• Consider clustering community outreach visits to reduce travel where possible
• Practices with rural or lower-income patient populations should be alert to increasing missed appointments
• If not already done, revisiting your COVID-19 Business Continuity Plan is a practical step to ensure readiness if pressures escalate

The Ministry expects health services to be prioritised for fuel allocation across all phases of the Plan, with remote and digital care options expanding if pressures increase further.

Read the full update: Health Sector Update 2 – Impacts of Middle East conflict on the health system (Ministry of Health, 5 May 2026)