Private Hospitals respond to growing demand

Main points:

• New data collected from NZPSHA members has been released
• Almost a quarter of a million surgeries are being performed annually in New Zealand’s private hospitals
• Outsourcing from Health NZ has jumped more than 50% in one year

The private hospital sector is continuing to respond to ever increasing demand for surgical services across New Zealand, by investing heavily in facilities, technology and staff. And the waiting times for patients on public waiting lists are starting to come down, as the private sector picks up more of the load.

250 delegates from around New Zealand are attending the New Zealand Private Surgical Hospitals Association Annual Conference in Auckland this week.

NZPSHA Chief Executive Chris Roberts has this afternoon shared with Conference delegates some of the key results from the annual member survey conducted by the association.

In the financial year ended 30 June 2026, total surgical discharges from NZPSHA members were a record 245,962. This volume has grown steadily, with a 48% increase in the past decade.

Insurance funded patients continue to make-up almost half of the surgery patients treated in private facilities. However, in the past year, there was a decline in the number of ACC funded patients treated and a big increase in patients outsourced from Health New Zealand.

Chris Roberts says two thirds of elective surgery in New Zealand is provided by NZPSHA members.

“A decade and more of demand growth was briefly interrupted by the Covid pandemic but looks set to continue strongly. 17 different surgical specialities are provided across our private hospitals, from endoscopy to cardiothoracic and neurosurgery.

“Patients are self-funded, have insurance or are funded by ACC or Health New Zealand, with variation from hospital to hospital. Overall, insurers remain the biggest funder, and their patient numbers are still growing. There was a 13% decline in ACC volumes, as ACC looks to fund less surgery. The big leap in the past year was in outsourced patients from Health New Zealand, up more than 50%. This invaluable contribution has allowed Health NZ to hit its 2026 target for reduced waiting times for surgery.”

Mr Roberts says the private surgical sector has an essential role to play in New Zealand healthcare system, with 4,900 FTE staff directly employed, and thousands of contracted specialists, most of whom also work in the public sector.

“Our members continue to respond to the growing health needs. There are now 223 operating theatres across the membership, up by a third on 10 years ago. There is ongoing investment in the latest technologies like surgical robots, and in new facilities.

“The demand for the services of private surgical providers looks set to keep growing, because private hospitals provide timely, cost-effective and patient-focused services”.  

The NZPSHA Conference is being held at the Cordis Hotel in Auckland.