'Far from over': Health NZ bracing for weeks of strain from sickness surge

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Health

Author: Tom Rose & Lochlan Lineham,
Publish Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2026, 12:37pm

The surge in flu-like illnesses is continuing to put pressure on New Zealand's health system, Health NZ says. Photo / 123rf

Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora says the surge in winter illness is “far from over”, with associated pressures on the country’s health system expected to continue for several weeks.

A wave of Influenza A and outbreaks of other respiratory illnesses has washed over the country over the past month, with hundreds of school students being kept home and some hospitals forced to cancel patients’ elective surgeries.

Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard, Health NZ’s national chief medical officer, said the health system was experiencing “some of the highest levels of demand seen in recent years”, with pressures felt across the board.

“Patient numbers remain above historic winter levels and we expect pressure to continue for at least another three to four weeks,” she told the Herald.

“The pressure is far from over, however presentations have reduced from the exceptionally high levels recorded in August.”

Stokes-Lampard said hospitals often need to prioritise acute care when demand is high, leaving some elective surgeries or procedures deferred until further notice.

National chief medical officer Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard. Photo / Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora

“Patients and their families can be assured that surgeries and procedures are only deferred where it is clinically safe to do so.

“The decision to defer care is not taken lightly and all decisions are made on a case-by-case basis by clinical teams with patient safety and wellbeing as the highest priority.

“Surgeries are always rescheduled for the next available opportunity, and we consider the acuity of a patient’s condition to ensure those with the highest need are treated first.”

Stokes-Lampard said Health NZ had begun planning for the expected winter surge at the beginning of the year, with a $25 million Winter Plan investment seeing “several hundred” additional fulltime-equivalent staff brought in.

Additional aged residential care placements were also being implemented across New Zealand, alongside 103 additional hospital beds and a further 163 “flex beds” made available.

On Friday, Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ) chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Dr Sharon English said a mix of community outbreaks and staffing shortages were creating different pressures for hospitals throughout the country.

Hospitals in the regions were experiencing the most disruption.

English said colleagues at Auckland City Hospital and Christchurch Hospital hadn’t reported any issues with elective surgeries being cancelled, although those at Wairarapa Hospital had seen the backlog on waiting lists grow.

“It’s a very patchy thing that’s going on,” English said.

“This will happen for many years, because when a hospital gets full of medical patients, that blocks a bed for an elect.

“The one thing you can control is your elective surgeries, and not bringing those patients into hospital.”

She said most colleagues she spoke to were faring fine with their electives, but there would be some patients with non-life-threatening conditions who will inevitably face delays to treatment.

“In some ways, the backlog is never cleared, because you’ve always got more demand than what you can actually do.

“For some people, it just pushes them further and further back, because the urgents come in front of them.

“It’s hugely variable. The waiting list fluctuates a bit and it does catch up, but it will take over the next two or three months probably.”

In the week ending August 16, 31 respiratory illness outbreaks were recorded – 21 of them were in aged care facilities, eight were in early childhood centres and two in schools.

Influenza was the most common, followed by RSV and SARS-CoV-2.