Nine paediatric respiratory doctors serve the entire country
Tuesday 13 October 2026 · 2 outlets · 2 reports · updated In this story University of Auckland
A national audit by Asthma NZ and the University of Otago reveals that only nine public paediatric respiratory specialists serve all of New Zealand. Fourteen regions currently report having no dedicated service or no specialist care available for children.
Key facts
5 facts
- Nine public paediatric respiratory doctors serve over 600,000 children
- Specialists are located only in Auckland and Christchurch
- Asthma was the top cause of avoidable hospital admissions for children under five in 2025
- Respiratory diseases were the third-leading cause of death in 2023
- More than 97,000 hospitalisations occurred due to respiratory disease last year
The full story
1 min read · 2 outlets
A national audit has revealed that only nine public paediatric respiratory doctors serve the entire country. These specialists are located in only two regions, Auckland and Christchurch. Without these doctors travelling from Starship to other parts of the country, there would be no paediatric respiratory specialist service.
The audit was conducted by Asthma NZ and the University of Auckland. Respiratory health expert Amy Chan stated, "What's most concerning is really a postcode lottery. Where you live depends on how easy you can access care". Fourteen regions reported having no dedicated service or no service available at all.
Specific districts with no respiratory physician include Tairāwhiti, Whanganui, Wairarapa, and the West Coast. Chan noted that New Zealand is actually 35 adult specialists short based on international benchmarks. Asthma was the leading cause of potentially avoidable hospitalisations for children under five in 2025.
Health New Zealand clinical executive national director Dr Richard Sullivan said the agency is reviewing the BREATHE Strategy and audit report. He noted that Health NZ is not yet in a position to comment on specific findings or recommendations. There were more than 97,000 hospitalisations due to respiratory disease last year.
Compiled from reports by RNZ and Otago Daily Times.