Braemar Charitable Trust has announced Saturday 13 September as its next full Community Surgery Day. It follows an extremely successful two Saturdays of free surgeries in late 2024 in which more than 70 people received surgeries or procedures.
The Trust owns Braemar Hospital, one of New Zealand’s largest private hospitals. Surgeons and anaesthetists who are credentialed to work at Braemar donate their time for the surgeries, and the Trust pays for drugs, supplies and consumables, which Braemar Hospital provides at cost.
Surgery recipients are referred by specialists, GPs, dentists and nurse practitioners as well community health providers and are aimed at people who have been declined or have little chance of surgery within a reasonable time frame in the public system and who don’t have insurance, ACC, nor the financial means to pay for the procedure in the private system.
In the most recent financial year ended 31 March 2025, Braemar Charitable Trust enabled 159 free surgeries for those in need, an increase of 124% on the previous year. The Trust spent $88,000 on associated costs but estimates these surgeries would have cost $500,000 if performed privately.
Trust Manager Paula Baker says Braemar Hospital will kindly open four theatres and one endoscopy suite on Saturday 13 September just for the free surgeries, and between 20 and 25 patients are likely to be helped. Thanks to donations of time from surgeons and anaesthetists, procedures will include children’s ENT, endoscopies, general surgeries, gynaecology and children’s general surgery. A free dental mobile clinic will see also see patients and free echocardiograms are likely to be provided for other patients through Midland Cardio Vascular Services which is based at Braemar Hospital.
During the 2025 two full surgery days, more than 70 staff volunteered to help, and Ms Baker says they will be offered the chance to be part of the day once more. “We had an amazing response to the call for help in November – to the point where we had to turn people away. On the day, so many patients commented on how special they felt knowing that people were giving up a Saturday to help others. It’s very inspiring seeing how our specialists and staff come together for our community.”
Suppliers to the hospital even got on board, supporting the Community Surgery Day by donating nearly $9000 of goods and consumables for the procedures.
Already in the first three months of this year, the Trust has spent $27,000 on 52 free surgeries and procedures performed by specialists adding free surgeries to their existing Braemar Hospital patient lists, or through community-based initiatives. These surgeries and procedures happen year-round as part of the Trust’s kaupapa of advancing health equity and access.
“We are seeing increasing numbers of referrals, and providing the surgeries helps relieve pressure on Waikato Hospital,” Ms Baker says. “We encourage GPs, nurse practitioners and dentists to review patient lists and see if some of their patients are eligible for our free surgeries and apply to us.” Referral forms can be found here.
Braemar Charitable Trust has also made it simple for anyone to donate to its work via an online donations portal where donors can choose to fund a specific procedure. For example, a donation of $1500 will enable 1-2 children’s ENT surgeries which would cost between $2700 and $5300 if performed in the private sector.
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ENDS
Media inquiries – not for publication. For more information contact:
Paula Baker MNZM
Trust Manager, Braemar Charitable Trust
027 224 2316
