Danielle McKay has just heard birds singing the first time, after a cochlear implant.

The Government has quietly cancelled extra funding for cochlear implants, despite a successful campaign for publicly-funded devices for every Kiwi who needed one.

Levin surf lifesaver Danielle McKay spearheaded the campaign after she waited three years for the surgery. She said the decision to slash the $6.5million funding boost was "shocking" and "disappointing."

Health Minister David Clark refused to comment on the cut. But a spokesman confirmed that extra funding was not extended in this year's Budget.

The Ministry of Health said there were 224 adults in line for a cochlear implant, and the average wait time was just over two years. But there are many more who still haven't been officially accepted onto the cochlear programme.

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That was the position McKay, 23, found herself in last year, after three years of waiting for an implant. Despite a specialist telling her she had only a few months to save her hearing, when McKay contacted officials, she found she was only on a secondary review list.

So, the lifeguard launched a petition and teamed up with the YesWeCare health funding coalition. After she delivered the petition, with 26,643 signatures to Parliament, then Health Minister Jonathan Coleman stumped up an extra $6.5m in that year's Budget.

It almost doubled the programme's budget and allowed an extra 60 people to have the surgery. McKay underwent the procedure in October, although she had already gone completely deaf in one ear.

Now she's furious others won't get the same chance.

And she's called on Clark to reconsider his decision. "No, it's not right. It should be ongoing funding," she said.

"Everyone that is having trouble with their hearing or lost their hearing, we deserve to hear when given the chance.

"I'm so upset and disappointed in the new Government."

McKay is grateful for the device – which was finally "switched on" on November 2. It's an electronic implant that sends sound signals to the brain, doing the work of a damaged inner ear.

"I'm going to be honest with you, It was a struggle to start with, because having been born deaf, I had never heard one sound in my whole life.

"Getting the cochlear implant was a whole new world, and baby steps to learn the new sounds and the whole experience of it. I'm glad I did it, and very happy that now it's been over six months. I'm still learning new sounds every day ... not long ago, for the very very first time, I heard birds singing – what an experience – I have no words."

The devices and operation cost around $50,000. Then processors must be replaced every seven years, costing about $10,000.

Clark should find that money to help other deaf people "to be able to hear the world," McKay said.

"It's an experience that deaf people will love and never forget."

Michael Woodhouse, National Party spokesman for health said it was unimpressed with the move.

"It's a callous and disgraceful decision which is going to see people lose their hearing when they don't need to," Woodhouse said. "We boosted the number of funded cochlear implants for adults and sped up access to implants for children."

Furthermore, Woodhouse was exasperated the increased tax dollar was being spent on diplomats, and free tertiary education.

"This Government doesn't see saving the hearing of hundreds of New Zealanders as a priority and those hundreds of New Zealanders and their families will be bitterly disappointed.

"Let's not forget this Government has claimed for years there was a health crisis and now they're in Government they're cutting funding. They've also broken their election promise to establish a fund to pay for drugs for people with rare diseases.

"It's a disgrace."