Media
2025
Report Card on Health NZ Elective Surgery
30 September 2025
The Minister of Health has released a Quarterly Report Card on the Elective Surgery Health Target. The target is 95% of patients waiting less than four months for elective surgery, and this is to be achieved by 2030. In the April-June 2025 quarter, the best performing region was Mid-Central at 81.4%.
Private surgical providers respond to increasing demand
18 September 2025
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Private Hospitals performed a record number of surgical procedures in the past year
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Two thirds of all elective surgery in New Zealand is performed in private facilities
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Facilities are being expanded and more staff employed to respond to demand
Private delivery benefits patients and taxpayers
16 September 2025
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Since 2018 more than 180,000 public surgery patients have been treated in private hospitals
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Outsourcing is cost effective and delivers quality care
Private Hospital CEO to Chair Advisory Board for new Medical School
11 September 2025
Fiona Michel, the CEO of Braemar Hospital and vice-President of NZPSHA, will chair the Advisory Board guiding the establishment of the new School of Medicine at the University of Waikato.
Consent granted for $300m Private Hospital in Wanaka
29 August 2025
A $300 million private surgical hospital has been approved as part of a health precinct for Wānaka. Property developers Roa are developing the health precinct in partnership with Kā Rūnaka (Ngāi Tahu).
Thousands going private due to long colonoscopy waitlists
25 August 2025
As the public health system struggles with colonoscopy waitlist targets, more Kiwis are paying for the procedure to be done privately.
New Zealand Private Surgical Hospitals Association chief executive Chris Roberts attributes the rise in private colonoscopies to three things: increased awareness of bowel cancer, an aging population, and the introduction of the bowel screening programme for 60-to 74-year-olds.
Surgeons get a helping hand from robots in NZ hospitals
11 August 2025
Robotic surgery is on the rise in New Zealand. Wakefield Hospital surgeon Rodd Studd said it had changed the game with "more precision" and "smaller cuts" in open surgery. "That leads to a faster recovery for patients, less pain, less bleeding."
Boulcott Hospital expands with high-tech operating theatres
4 August 2025
Two state-of-the-art operating theatres are opening at Lower Hutt’s privately-owned Boulcott Hospital, marking a major upgrade in surgical capacity and technology after three years of construction.
Hamilton's private Braemar Hospital performs 159 free surgeries in one year
8 July 2025
A private hospital has provided 159 free surgeries in one year to needy patients who may not have otherwise been eligible for the surgery in a public hospital.
$100m Hospital extension opening in Hastings
5 July 2025
The final stage of Kaweka Hospital in Hastings opens on 14 July.
Envisaged by a group of clinicians who invested their own funds and attracted local investors, the $100 million project will provide healthcare to over 10,000 patients a year.
NZPSHA announces new Chief Executive
14 May 2025
Chris Roberts has been appointed Chief Executive of the New Zealand Private Surgical Hospitals Association (NZPSHA) in what the organisation says is a pivotal time to forge closer private-public partnerships across the health sector.
Announcing the appointment today, NZPSHA President Blair Roxborough said that as the New Zealand health system continues to face unprecedented demand for services and, as the population ages, strong leadership and new thinking was required.
2024
New MoU between NZPSHA and MCNZ
7 November 2024
An updated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the New Zealand Private Surgical Hospitals Association (NZPSHA) and Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ).
The MoU has been revised over the course of this year to ensure its currency and has had legal review. All members including those who are already signatories to the preceding MoU (established in 2014) are encouraged to sign as participants in the new MoU.
The revised MoU enhances the process for clear and open exchange of information about credentialed doctors in our member hospitals with the MCNZ. The MoU allows each participating member hospital and the Council to clearly define their roles with respect to management of any competence, performance, conduct or health issues. Under the MoU, member hospitals can liaise closely with MCNZ when concerns about a credentialed doctor are identified.
NZPSHA Position Paper
October 2024
Private surgical hospitals can support Government to reduce growing pressure on the public health system. In partnership, we can provide joint public-private solutions to the ever-growing financial and capacity constraint pressures.
Whole-of-sector approaches can work well as was demonstrated effectively during the COVID-19 response in early 2020. NZPSHA hospitals are an additional resource with the relevant capability to work effectively alongside the challenged public health sector. The private sector can also bring capital to the New Zealand health system, ensuring facilities are available without impacting Government funds to provide them.
We seek to take a whole-of-sector approach to workforce development and training by utilising the expertise of private surgical hospitals as a skilled training resource.