Find a hospital

Hospital appointments and stays

Preparing for a hospital stay

What your hospital appointment letter or email should tell you, what to know before your stay and what to bring, what to do when you arrive, and information if you are having surgery.

Your stay in hospital

What to expect, including your room at the hospital, what your stay will be like, and a guide for visitors.

Preparing for surgery

How to prepare before having surgery, including managing your medical conditions and lifestyle factors.

The day of your surgery

Eating and drinking before surgery, medicines, breastfeeding, taonga and pounamu, what happens in the operating room.

Anaesthesia for your surgery

Anaesthetics are medicines that can numb a part of your body so you do not feel pain. They can also make you 'go to sleep' and be unaware of your surgery or procedure. The choice of anaesthetic depends on the type of surgery and your overall health.

Children having surgery

How to prepare your tamaiti for surgery and what will happen on the day.

Recovering from your surgery

After your surgery, the focus of your care will be on recovering well from the operation.

Critical care

Critical care areas care for people with life-threatening injuries or illnesses. This typically takes place in an intensive care unit (ICU) or high dependency unit (HDU) where a team of specially trained healthcare professionals use intensive monitoring and treatment to support vital functions.

Leaving hospital

Support for returning home, leaving checklist, and what to expect in the first 24 hours after your return home.