The Government is to make available $98 million to increase the number of people who get treatment and surgery for bone and muscle conditions.
In a pre-budget announcement, the Health Minister Jonathan Coleman said $48 million will go into elective orthopaedic surgery in the next four years.
The remaining $50 million will be spent on a range of general surgeries including orthopaedic, but will also be used for community-based early intervention teams.
Dr Coleman said the number of people needing orthopaedic surgery had increased in the past seven years by 37 percent, or 44,000 patients.
Dr Coleman said health is expected to receive the largest share of new funding in this year's budget.
