The Braemar Charitable Trust flagship charitable activity is our Community Surgery Programme. This programme involves surgeons and anaesthetists donating their time and expertise pro bono to provide surgeries to eligible patients, at Braemar Hospital. The in-hospital costs are funded by Braemar Charitable Trust. With collaboration between Braemar Hospital, Waikato Hospital and Braemar Charitable Trust a system has been developed whereby children currently on Waikato Hospital’s ENT surgical waiting list can receive expedited surgery through Braemar’s Community Surgery Programme. The patients are selected using the New Zealand Deprivation Index, so that children facing the highest need are prioritised. The ENT Community Surgery lists commenced in April 2023 with further lists scheduled going forward into 2024. Noting the Health New Zealand target of a maximum wait time of 365 days, 34 children have already been treated sooner via this pathway, with an average wait time of 149 days. This has included 16 tonsillectomies, 26 adenoidectomies and 21 middle ear ventilation tube procedures. There has been fantastic support from surgeons and anaesthetists wanting to be involved in providing these surgeries, some of whom have taken the step to be credentialed at Braemar Hospital. This is a great example of the impact that collaboration across the sector can make to enabling patients to receive surgery in a timely way. The Braemar Community Surgery Programme covers other specialties and is open to referrals for patients who have been declined or are facing considerable wait times for surgery and do not have health insurance, ACC or the financial means to afford private treatment. These can be undertaken as ad hoc surgeries added to existing private lists, or as dedicated half day lists. If you would like to be involved in the Braemar Community Surgery programme or would like more information please contact Trust Manager Paula Baker at paulab@braemartrust.co.nz
