Health New Zealand is allocating an extra $25 million to expand hospital capacity, hire more staff, and strengthen the health system against rising demand during the peak winter period.
The investment will deliver up to an additional 378 full-time equivalent staff across the country to support meeting winter demands in hospitals, 71 extra winter hospital beds across key hospitals, and up to 567 short-stay beds through aged residential care facilities to help free up hospital capacity and reduce bed block.
Hospital in the Home services will also be expanded to enable earlier hospital discharges.
“Emergency department presentations continue to rise alongside population growth and an ageing population, placing hospitals under increasing pressure during the winter months and creating sustained demand across emergency departments and other health services nationwide,” Health Minister Simeon Brown said.
“Despite these challenges, Health New Zealand has seen emergency department performance improve since the reintroduction of the government’s health targets, with more patients now being seen sooner, reversing several years of declining performance.”
“While hospitals undertake seasonal planning each year as part of normal operations, winter demand still places significant pressure on services and frontline staff. That’s why strengthening capacity early, ahead of the winter months, is critical to ensuring patients receive timely care.”
In his Letter of Expectation to the Health New Zealand Board last November, Brown stated, “I made it clear that I expected a plan to prepare our hospitals for winter to be in place early.”
On March 3, the Board approved the plan, which is now being rolled out nationwide.
The plan centres on four key priorities: strengthening primary care, enhancing patient flow through emergency departments and hospitals, facilitating timely hospital discharges, and promoting prevention via vaccination support and initiatives.
“Hospitals will still face high levels of demand this winter. But by planning early, expanding capacity, and supporting our frontline teams, we are giving them the tools, resources, and flexibility they need to better manage pressure, reduce delays, and deliver care for New Zealanders,” Brown said.