The private sector has an important role to play in supporting our public health system. Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) uses outsourcing to the private sector to maximise the available surgical capacity and improve timely access to care for all New Zealanders. For patients on surgical wait lists, this means getting access to procedures faster, no matter where they live or who provides it. 

Our work with private sector also provides the opportunity for more clinical training delivered in private surgical facilities, supporting the development of surgeons who will work for Health NZ in the future and reinforcing the clinical workforce pipeline.

Partnership principles underpin this public-private collaboration. They were endorsed by the Chair of Health NZ’s Board, Health NZ’s Chief Executive, and private sector equivalents.

The principles are:

  • Long-term collaborative partnership  
  • Patient-focused care  
  • Clinically led case selection  
  • Private Sector as a strategic partner  
  • Innovation and continuous improvement  
  • Transparency and accountability  
  • System sustainability  
  • Mutual learning. 

The partnership principles have been embedded into a Statement of Expectations for Public-Private Surgical Collaboration, which is available here.

Statement of Expectations - Expectations for Public-Private Surgical Collaboration [PDF, 253 KB]

This Statement of Expectations sets out Health NZ’s commitment to work with individual private surgical providers on the development of long-term partnerships that build New Zealand’s capacity to deliver equitable, timely, safe, and high-quality surgical care to all New Zealanders.