Information for Patients

The Canterbury Charity Hospital was established by a trust in 2007 to provide FREE elective day surgery and medical outpatient clinics for those in our Canterbury community who can’t access these services because they:

•  Don’t qualify for the public health waiting list
•  Don’t have medical insurance and
•  Don’t have any other means of covering the cost of their treatment.

Our day services currently include:

•  Cataract surgery
•  Colonoscopy
•  Counselling for adults
•  Dietetic advice
•  Dermatology (treatment of severe acne scars for ages 16 to 26 years)
•  General surgery (abdominal & lower colorectal surgery)
•  Gynaecology, women’s health and family planning
•  Orthopaedics (hands, elbows, minor shoulder, foot surgery)
•  Urology (vasectomy, Pyronie’s disease, simple hydrocele, secular circumcision)
•  Varicose veins

Dentistry and oral surgery
The dentistry service includes non-urgent extractions, root canals and fillings for WINZ (Work and Income New Zealand) clients through referrals from their dentist. We also offer wisdom teeth extraction, total clearances and complex extractions under general anaesthetic or sedation to patients aged between 18 65 years who meet the Trust’s financial and clinical criteria. We can only see people who are receiving the WINZ supportive living payment, jobseeker support, sole parent support and child disability allowance.
Oral Surgery (complex extractions, wisdom teeth, total clearance)

Why are our services free?

Thanks to our wonderful team of over 300 unpaid volunteer surgeons, dentists, nurses, clinicians and other support staff, we can offer these free services to the people of Canterbury. We rely on funding from a range of trusts and organisations, along with donations from the public. We receive NO government funding.

How do you access these services?

• You will need a referral from your GP/family doctor or dentist. Only counselling patients may self-refer.
• You will also need to provide some background information on your financial situation or proof that you are a WINZ client for our dentistry services.

Training and education

The Canterbury Charity Hospital also provides professional training, development and education for clinicians and also provides work experience for student nurses and other health professionals. Our interactive technology in our two theatres enables us to also run educational seminars.