404 (2026). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

404 (2026). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: Do the hospital and specialist services activity figures reported by Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora for the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year include activity delivered by outsourced private providers under contract, and if so, how many first specialist assessments and elective case weighted discharges were delivered in private facilities during that quarter?

Hon Simeon Brown: I am advised, yes. As patients deserve to be treated and seen as soon as possible, no matter who is delivering the care, this is part of our focus on building a healthcare system that has patients at its centre. I am further advised that Health New Zealand's data systems do not currently capture the breakdown, as requested by the Member, for all activity types.