Brand new Hospital ICU ward sits empty as 80% of new public health spend sent to private sector

The Kākā by Bernard Hickey · Oct 26, 2026 · 7m

Mōrena. It must feel frustrating to be a taxpayer who sees massive growth in public health funding, but can also see public hospital EDs, ICUs and wards struggling to cope with tidal waves of new demand from an ageing and sickening population.

Where did all the money go? Is it being wasted by all the nurses and doctors and administrators in hospitals? Perhaps not. Most of the growth in the last three years went to private hospitals, clinics, laboratories and GP conglomerates, some of which are owned by private equity funds and one of which is financed through the Cayman Islands.

A new report…