We are back to check on our ol' mate George - who you may remember as 'New Zealand's unluckiest patient'. You name it, George's had it operated on. From cataracts to colonoscopies - George has endured it all. Yikes. And with no health insurance in place, George's unexpected treatment costs in a private hospital have left them in a difficult position financially (and errrr...physically).
George has also had to wait, and wait, and wait. 
After an exhilarating session of watching the paint dry, George knew he needed something else to pass the time. Armed with an eagerness to get to the bottom of the situation and a hand perfect for head scratching, he checked in with Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora's quarterly report, published in December 2024.
Join George as he shares two sobering figures and how this reflects the wait list challenges the New Zealand public health system is facing.
FIRST SPECIALIST ASSESSMENT | 4 MONTHS+
A First Specialist Assessment is your first appointment with a specialist after being referred by your GP. The specialist checks your condition, plans treatment, and decides what happens next. It’s usually done within four months to keep things moving.
- As of September 2024, 38.8% of real Kiwi patients (not like completely fictional George) were stuck waiting more than four months for their first specialist assessment. This has increased from 33.7% since September 2023.
COMMITMENT TO TREATMENT | 4 MONTHS+
In New Zealand’s healthcare system, a commitment to treatment means Health New Zealand has agreed to provide a patient with non-urgent medical or surgical care. This happens after a specialist decides the treatment is needed and schedules it, usually within four months.
- 37.8% of patients with a commitment to treatment were left waiting beyond the 4-month promise as of September 2024
George checked in with Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora's Jo Gibbs, who had told RNZ that ‘demand was growing due to an ageing population, with more complex medical problems and an increase in the treatments available due to new technology.’
Source: Quarterly Performance Report - 1 July to 30 September 2024 – Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
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