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| 10 Nov 2026 | |
| Media Stories |
NZ Herald 10 Nov 2026
Christchurch is home to three of New Zealand’s four highest-rated hospitals on Google, but the city’s main public hospital has landed among the bottom 10.
A new analysis of Google reviews found St George’s Hospital topped the rankings with an average rating of 4.74 stars out of five from 148 reviews.
Forte Health came third nationally, scoring 4.51 stars from 110 reviews, followed by Burwood Hospital in fourth place with 4.44 stars from 116 reviews.
Christchurch Hospital, however, which had been facing significant pressure in its emergency department, was among the 10 lowest-rated hospitals, with an average of 3.55 stars from 466 reviews.
Its ratings were polarised, with 250 people giving the hospital five stars and 133 awarding just one.
Middlemore Hospital in Auckland had the lowest rating, averaging 2.72 stars from 739 reviews.
The analysis, carried out by SEO Backlinks in October, examined 7998 Google reviews across 30 public and private hospitals, each with at least 100 reviews.
The rankings reflect patients’ and visitors’ experiences, rather than clinical outcomes, and cover everything from waiting times and communication to parking and food.
Among the 40 most recent reviews analysed for St George’s Hospital, 39 were five stars, with patients praising caring nurses, communication, food and comfortable facilities. The only negative review related to parking.
St George’s Hospital said it was “very proud” of the care and service its team provides to patients.
Forte Health received praise for its attentive staff and modern facilities, while some negative reviews were mainly about customer service and reception.
Burwood Hospital patients highlighted friendly staff, easy parking, short waits for blood tests and positive surgical experiences. A few complaints were mainly about staff answers.
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora said “patient safety” and “high-quality care” remained its priority.
“Every day, our staff come to work across the country focused on providing the best possible care for patients and whānau,” it said in a statement.
“We welcome feedback about people’s experiences in our hospitals ... Feedback helps us understand people’s experiences and identify opportunities to improve our services.”
SEO Backlinks founder Oliver Weston said the scores often reflected how people felt they had been treated during stressful hospital visits.
“Most of the lowest-rated are big public hospitals with busy emergency departments and you can see how much a long wait colours the whole visit.”
He said private hospitals also benefited from treating patients undergoing planned procedures, rather than dealing with emergency department waits.
The 10 best-rated hospitals in New Zealand
1. St George’s Hospital, Christchurch: 4.74 (148 reviews)
2. Grace Hospital, Tauranga: 4.52 (101 reviews)
3. Forte Health, Christchurch: 4.51 (110 reviews)
4. Burwood Hospital, Christchurch: 4.44 (116 reviews)
5. Ormiston Hospital, Auckland: 4.39 (130 reviews)
6. Nelson Hospital, Nelson: 4.08 (151 reviews)
7. Allevia Hospital Epsom, Auckland: 4.07 (117 reviews)
8. Whangārei Hospital, Whangārei: 4.06 (209 reviews)
9. Gisborne Hospital, Gisborne: 3.95 (124 reviews)
10. Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, Hastings: 3.87 (187 reviews)
