Free surgeries and health interventions
Based in Hamilton, Braemar Charitable Trust is a for-purpose organisation dedicated to reducing the barriers to healthcare equity and access, and therefore improving health outcomes.
Among our programme of work, we provide life-changing free surgeries and health interventions for those who need it most.
We want to address unmet surgical need through relationships, innovative thinking and outside-the-box solutions.
Our history
The Braemar story starts with the vision of one pioneering and entrepreneurial woman, a nursing sister named Frances Young. In 1926, Young saw the need for a private hospital to treat patients from the Waikato and so the seed of today's hospital was sown.
After selling the hospital in the 1950s, its ownership remained in the hands of private medical practitioners until 1970, when it was transferred into the ownership of the Braemar Charitable Trust (then known as Braemar Hospital Charitable Trust).
In 2026, Braemar Hospital celebrates its 100th year.
Our charitable pillars
We are committed to:
Providing medical facilities and specialised hospital care
Facilitating free surgeries and health interventions
Promoting collaboration for better health outcomes
Growing the medical workforce and their knowledge and skills
Contributing to research that builds medical knowledge and supports our vision
We will achieve this through:
Ownership of Braemar Hospital, our free surgery programme, collaboration with healthcare and community providers, and provision of grants and scholarships.
How we can help
Our Community Surgery Programme is our flagship offering and is dedicated to funding surgery and health interventions to those in our community who need it most.
We welcome patient referrals from specialists, GPs, dentists and nurse practitioners subject to meeting patient criteria and availability.