Health NZ - Winter Plan 2026 Regional Aged Care Provisions
Health NZ
Sector evidence
Sector body
June 2026
Next review not yet scheduled
New Zealand
Medium confidence
published
SNZ editorial review
Evidence boundary: This record summarises the cited source. It does not establish local availability, individual eligibility, or professional advice.
Short Answer
- Immunisation campaigns for staff, residents and/or clients in aged care facilities and home and community support services
Key Points
- •Up to 567 short-stay beds through aged residential care facilities — these are funded places to move hospital patients into ARC for recovery/rehabilitation, freeing up hospital beds
- •Expansion of Hospital in the Home services
- •Up to 250 short-stays in aged care facilities to support early discharge from hospital
- •30 transition beds in aged care facilities to support discharge from hospital (region-wide)
- •Hawke's Bay: 3 extra transition-to-home beds for older people well enough to leave hospital but needing support
- •Wellington/Hutt/Kapiti: 20 additional transition-to-care beds in aged care facilities
Full Summary & Notes
- Immunisation campaigns for staff, residents and/or clients in aged care facilities and home and community support services - Identify frequent ED attendees using Home and Community Support Services data and create early care plans to prevent emergency visits - Telehealth specialist access for Aged Residential Care nurses, paramedics, and rural clinicians (via Canterbury) - Up to 250 short-stays in aged care facilities to support early discharge from hospital - Immunisation campaign for staff, residents and clients in aged care facilities - Better access to antiviral medicines for aged-care residents — giving prescribers better access to antivirals - Clinical Nurse Specialist (older people) — full-time at Dunedin Hospital to support older people and avoid hospital admissions - Two additional Clinical Nurse Specialists for ED follow-up of people aged 65+ (Nelson Marlborough) - Extended Home Team services to 10-hour shifts - 20-bed winter flex ward at Christchurch Hospital - Additional 750 telehealth vouchers for Christchurch ED presentations during winter - 30 transition beds in aged care facilities to support discharge from hospital (region-wide) - Hawke's Bay: 3 extra transition-to-home beds for older people well enough to leave hospital but needing support - Wellington/Hutt/Kapiti: 20 additional transition-to-care beds in aged care facilities - Clinical Nurse Specialist (older people) at Hutt Valley ED to reduce length of stay and support earlier discharge
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Document Details & Metadata
Related Resources
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January 2024 strategic assessment of ARC and HCSS funding and service models. The retained bundled filename begins 2026, but the source is dated 2024.
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Published in August 2023 and updated in December 2023 by Te Th Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission, PO Box 25496, Wellington 6011.