Health NZ - Waitematā

Health NZ - Waitematā Health NZ- Waitematā serves the largest population in the country - more than 630,000

We employ around 7000 people in more than 30 different locations and manage a budget of more than $1.2 billion a year, serving the residents of the former council areas of Rodney, North Shore City and Waitakere City. Te Whatu Ora - Waitematā operates North Shore Hospital, on the shores of Lake Pupuke in Takapuna, and Waitakere Hospital in West Auckland. We provide emergency, medical, surgical, mat

ernity, community health and mental health services. We also provide a range of services for the Auckland region, including child rehabilitation and respite at Takapuna's Wilson Centre, forensic psychiatric services at the Mason Clinic in Point Chevalier, oral health services for children and young people, and Community Alcohol and Drug Services. Our organisational promise:

Best care for everyone

Our values:

- Everyone matters
- Connected
- With compassion
- Better, best, brilliant

www.waitematadhb.govt.nz
www.wdhbcareers.com

Rules of engagement:

This is a place to discuss Te Whatu Ora - Waitematā - our initiatives, services, culture, and news – and to foster our growing online community. We welcome you to leave comments, images and videos and to share our content. We understand that many people are passionate about healthcare – a passion we share. We do expect that participants post content and commentary that is constructive, relevant and respectful - and reserve the right to moderate any posts that don’t meet our guidelines and to exclude anyone who violates them. The following guidelines are in place to promote a quality online environment for people that engage with us on Facebook. We do not tolerate the following content:

- Profane, defamatory, offensive or violent language
- ‘Trolling’, or posting deliberately disruptive statements meant to throw comment threads and discussions off-track
- No attacks that identify individuals, companies, unions or other organisations
- Any comments meant to harass, threaten or abuse an individual
- Discriminatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation or political beliefs
- Spam or link baiting (embedding a link in your post to draw traffic to your own site)
- Violations of copyright or intellectual property rights
- Content that relates to confidential or business information
- Content determined to be inappropriate, in poor taste, or otherwise contrary to the purposes of our page
- Personal promotion or the promotion of commercial products, services or brands
If you would like to share your experience of our services we recommend contacting our customer service team on [email protected]

If you would like to complain about content you have seen on this page please email [email protected] and send us a direct message via Facebook. It is important to note that postings or external links to our page do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Te Whatu Ora - Waitematā.

05/06/2026

Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Tangata Beats are back for 2026! And the North Shore Final is happening today!

Through music, creativity and performance, Smokefreerockquest encourages young people to protect their breath, strengthen their wellbeing and perform at their best. Health New Zealand is proud to continue its 36-year sponsorship of this event, backing young talent across New Zealand.

Get your ticket to the regional final and learn more at: https://www.rqp.co.nz/rockquest/dates-tickets

Helping children breathe: Starship pioneer receives knighthood. For Sir Paul Andrew Baker, a lifetime spent caring for c...
05/06/2026

Helping children breathe: Starship pioneer receives knighthood. For Sir Paul Andrew Baker, a lifetime spent caring for children has always been guided by one simple goal - helping them breathe safely.

The former Starship paediatric anaesthetist received the news of his Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to health far from home in London. He’s there with his wife
ahead of speaking to an airways workshop at Guy’s Hospital.

“We celebrated with family in London while the rest of our children and grandchildren celebrated in Auckland,” he says.

This moment has been many years in the making. It’s a journey that began in 1991, when Starship Children’s Hospital first opened its doors.

Over the next 30 years, Sir Paul helped shape paediatric anaesthesia in New Zealand, always focused on practical improvements: better equipment, safer oxygen use, and stronger recovery care.

“It was always about improving patient care in ways that made a real difference,” he says. “And it was incredibly rewarding to see those changes put into practice.”

But behind the clinical work is something more personal. A father of four and grandfather of seven, Sir Paul says being a parent helped him understand the fear families feel when a child is unwell.

“It gave me a deep appreciation of how parents experience those moments,” he reflects. “It helped me connect, not just with the children but with their whānau.”

Across thousands of cases, it’s the courage of children and their families that has stayed with him. One moment in particular stands out. He talks about a time when a baby was diagnosed before birth with a life-threatening airway condition. A team of 26 specialists came together to perform a rare and complex procedure, securing the baby’s airway while still connected to the placenta.

“That child is now a healthy young adult,” Sir Paul says. “It was a powerful reminder of what teamwork can achieve.”

Now, even having retired from Starship two years ago, his commitment hasn’t slowed.

He remains deeply optimistic about the future, pointing to advances in technology, education, and a nationwide network of airway specialists working together to improve patient safety.

Receiving a King’s Honour, he says, is not just a personal milestone. “I hope it shines a light on anaesthesia and airway management - areas that play such a vital role in patient care.” Congratulations 👏🎉🎉

We’re celebrating the new Manukau Health Park West Building theatre complex, which opened on Friday 29 May. The complex ...
02/06/2026

We’re celebrating the new Manukau Health Park West Building theatre complex, which opened on Friday 29 May. The complex includes four new operating theatres, 18 post-anaesthesia recovery spaces and a new Central Sterile Services department.

This exciting development will mean more people in South Auckland can access the care they need, closer to home.

🎉🏥👏

Life begins with hā (breath), but Whooping Cough can threaten that precious life force. Whooping cough spreads easily an...
16/04/2026

Life begins with hā (breath), but Whooping Cough can threaten that precious life force.

Whooping cough spreads easily and can cause bad coughing making it very hard for pēpi/babies to breathe. Especially newborn pēpi who haven’t had their 6-week immunisations.

If you’re hapū/pregnant, a free whooping cough vaccine from 13 weeks can protect your pēpi by passing on immunity until they’re old enough for their own immunisations at 6 weeks old. Boosters at 4 and 11 years help keep protection strong.

Protect your taonga. 💙

Book an immunisation today with your usual doctor, Hauora Māori or Pacific health provider, pharmacy, or online at bookmyvaccine.nz

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the news about the Cyclone this weekend, that is completely understandable. Support is...
09/04/2026

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the news about the Cyclone this weekend, that is completely understandable. Support is available.

💙 You can talk to someone for free, any time: 1737 Need to Talk - call or text 1737 or visit 1737.org.nz

ℹ️ For health advice during flooding and emergency situations, visit healthnz.govt.nz/floods.

⚠️ For regular updates, follow MetService New Zealand and Auckland Emergency Management.

Contact your doctor or usual health professional, or call Healthline 24/7 on 0800 611 116 if you have any concerns about your own or others’ health. If based rurally, call 0800 KA ORA (0800 252 672) to speak to a nurse or doctor.

Health NZ Waitematā district nurses are taking industrial action today (Wednesday 8 April).If you have a District Nurse ...
07/04/2026

Health NZ Waitematā district nurses are taking industrial action today (Wednesday 8 April).

If you have a District Nurse appointment scheduled for today, come to your appointment at the usual clinic location unless we have contacted you directly.

07/04/2026

Health NZ Waitematā district nurses are taking industrial action tomorrow (Wednesday 8 April).

If you have a District Nurse appointment scheduled for tomorrow, come to your appointment at the usual clinic location unless we have contacted you directly.

Winter is approaching. Protect yourself and your family. Flu vaccines are available starting today, 1 April, to safeguar...
31/03/2026

Winter is approaching. Protect yourself and your family.

Flu vaccines are available starting today, 1 April, to safeguard you and your community this winter.

Alongside flu, Covid, and whooping cough also spread more easily in colder months. Immunisation effectively reduces severe illness, hospitalisation, and the spread of winter viruses.

✅ Flu vaccines available now
✅ Covid vaccines year-round; ensure you’re up-to-date before winter
✅ Free vaccines for those aged 65+, anyone who is pregnant, and people with certain health conditions.

👶 Protect pēpi this winter
Whooping cough (pertussis) can be serious for babies. Pregnant women should get immunised to pass some immunity to newborns until they receive their own immunisations at 6 weeks. (Ensure baby's immunisations are timely!)

You can book vaccines at many pharmacies, GPs, Hauora Māori, and Pacific health providers, as well as some midwives and community vaccinators.

📅 Book your vaccination online at 👉 bookmyvaccine.health.nz

In addition to vaccination, prevent winter illness by staying home if unwell, washing hands frequently, and practicing good hygiene.

“My dad used to wear a badge when I was little on his dressing gown that said, 'Girls are powerful'. It sounds small, bu...
11/03/2026

“My dad used to wear a badge when I was little on his dressing gown that said, 'Girls are powerful'. It sounds small, but when you grow up seeing that every day, it shapes what you think is possible. I have three sisters, and in our house, it was normal - and expected – that girls would work and achieve.

That message was reinforced by the women around me. My grandmothers were strong - one escaped N**i Germany and rebuilt a life from nothing in a new country, and the other became a single mum in a time when that was almost unheard of, and essentially unacceptable. They showed me what courage and independence look like in real life, not theory.

My mum has that same spirit. She worked, built a career, and assumed her daughters would do the same. It was just part of who you were as you got on with life.

And while I’ve had these incredible female role models, I’ve also been supported by many men throughout my career. Leaders who encouraged me, challenged me, and opened doors I might not have stepped through on my own. Good leadership isn’t limited to only one gender, and good support doesn’t come from only one place.”

- Laura Chapman, Chief Medical Officer

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North Shore Hospital, Takapuna
Auckland
0622

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