NZNO nurses’ strikes planned for 2 and 4 September 2025
Nurses at Health NZ public hospitals and health services plan to strike from 7am to 11pm on both Tuesday 2 September and Thursday 4 September. Emergency departments will be open for emergencies only.
GPs, after-hours and urgent care clinics, and other community health providers are not affected by the strikes and will continue to operate as normal.
Free community dental care is available for tamariki and rangatahi and there is a free emergency dental clinic for adults over 18 with a community services card. The Taranaki Base Hospital and Hāwera Hospital provide dental care in some circumstances.
All eligible rangatahi (teenagers) from school Year 9 can get free dental care every year until their 18th birthday. Dental care is free even if they are not at school.
Dental care is provided at Taranaki Base Hospital and Hāwera Hospital for people with disabilities, special needs and some adults. You will need to be referred by your healthcare provider.
Some of the specialist dental services available at Taranaki Base Hospital and Hāwera Hospital include:
oral health services as part of inpatient hospital medical and surgical treatment
dental services needing admission to hospital eg services needing a general anaesthetic
general and specialist oral health services for people needing special care because of medical conditions or disabilities
general and specialist oral health services for persons requiring special care or severe conditions that cannot be treated at a general practice
oral-maxillofacial surgery by a registered oral maxillofacial surgeon.
There may be a fee for some hospital services. If you have a Community Services Card, the fees are subsidised.