NZNO nurses’ strikes planned for 2 and 4 September 2025
Nurses at Health NZ public hospitals and health services plan to strike from 7am to 11pm on both Tuesday 2 September and Thursday 4 September. Emergency departments will be open for emergencies only.
GPs, after-hours and urgent care clinics, and other community health providers are not affected by the strikes and will continue to operate as normal.
Bariatric surgery is used if you are very overweight and have not been able to control your weight through any other method. In Northland, bariatric surgery is carried out at Whangārei Hospital. You need to be referred to our service.
For 6 to 12 months before your surgery, you will work with the team members to prepare for your surgery and ongoing lifestyle changes.
You will need to attend clinic appointments and education sessions. Where possible, we try to provide these clinics and sessions online, over the phone or in the regional hospital closest to your home. You will still need to visit Whangārei Hospital for some appointments. You must attend all appointments.
Before surgery, most people will need to have a pre-surgery very low-calorie diet (VLCD) such as Optifast for at least 2 weeks.
The operation
You will have your operation at Whangārei Hospital and will stay in hospital for around 2 to 3 days afterwards.
After surgery
You are likely to need around a month off work to adjust to your new way of life after surgery.
You will need to attend follow up clinics and sessions. We try to provide these online, over the phone or in the regional hospital closes to your home.
Referral information
You need to be referred by your healthcare provider. There are clear criteria for who is eligible for publicly funded surgery. Surgery is targeted at those who have obesity and significant weight-related illnesses.