Photo: Getty ImagesMillions in new government funding to meet winter demand is a drop in the bucket, healthcare unions say. Photo: RNZ"We know that demand will still be high and hospitals will face record levels of patients this winter. There aren't 567 short-term care beds just sitting empty right now in New Zealand." "It's a pretty standard winter plan, the sort that was rolled out under Labour governments. Sarah Dalton from the senior doctor's union, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, called it a drop in the bucket.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 17, 2026 05:55 UTC