Health New Zealand is outsourcing more elective operations to private facilities to ease strain on the system.  

The agency aims to deliver more than 10,500 additional elective procedures by the end of June, by partnering with private hospitals to expand surgical capacity. 

The target is within reach with more than 8,600 procedures complete since March.    

Christchurch colorectal and general surgeon Chris Wakeman told Mike Hosking that although he gets paid less to do public work, this is the future of healthcare.  

He says it's so much more efficient and you can do a lot more work. 

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