Southern
Well known for its beautiful natural scenery, which includes towering mountains, stunning fjords, majestic glaciers, and crystal-clear lakes. The region is also famous for its friendly communities, charming towns, and vibrant cities such as Dunedin and Invercargill.

Te Whatu Ora | Southern
Te Whatu Ora Southern is a significant and varied employer in the Southern region of Aotearoa, New Zealand and collaborates closely with WellSouth Primary Health Network and all of our primary care partners. Our coverage extends to communities comprised of 350,000 individuals across an area twice the size of Belgium, and we serve a wide range of communities similar to the diversity of our workforce and job opportunities.
The Southern Region
We’re not the only ones who think that the Southern Region of Aotearoa is the most beautiful, we’re world famous for our mountains, fjords, glaciers, coastlines and lakes that are often depicted on postcards and in films. But that’s not all - it's also adventure-central, with many activities on offer including skiing, water sports, hiking and mountain biking. We’ve got a great cultural and foodie scene too, and safe, friendly communities with affordable housing. You just won’t get this combination of factors in a bigger city. So come and fall in love with the unbeatable Southern lifestyle.
The Southern District is located on the southernmost part of Aotearoa, New Zealand's South Island. The main cities in the Southern District include Dunedin, Invercargill, Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Southern Health
Southern is unique in the sense that you’ll have the opportunity to work at our brand new tertiary hospital in Dunedin, in a modern secondary hospital in laidback Invercargill, or in one of our smaller rural hospitals where you could base yourself out of Queenstown (or anywhere else nearby). No matter where you choose, you’ll feel welcome in our friendly and supportive teams - our “Southern smile” is famous for a reason! Our hospitals are big enough to offer you plenty of room for career growth and development, yet small enough to have a tight-knit team to lean on for support.

Hospital Services
Here's a list of medical services and specialties offered in the Southern District
Services A to M
Adult Community Mental Health Services |
Adult Inpatient Mental Health Services |
Alcohol and Drug Services |
Anaesthesia - Otago |
Audiology |
Breast Care - Otago |
Breast Screening Programme |
Cardiology |
Cardiothoracic Surgery Service |
Cervical Screening Programme |
Child and Youth Mental Health Services |
Children's Health Outpatients - Otago |
Community Rehab Services - Otago |
Day Surgery Unit - Otago |
Dermatology Services |
District Nursing |
Dunedin Hospital |
Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) - Otorhinolaryngology (ORL) Services |
Emergency Department - Dunedin Hospital |
Endocrinology - Otago |
Endocrinology - Southland |
Forensic Services |
Gastroenterology Services |
General Medicine - Otago |
General Surgery - Otago |
Infectious Diseases |
Māori Mental Health |
Maternity Services |
Mental Health Advisory Team |
Mental Health Emergency Services |
Mental Health Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordination |
Services N to Z
National Bowel Screening Programme |
National Intestinal Failure & Rehabilitation Service (NIFRS) |
National Perinatal Pathology Service |
Needs Assessment & Service Coordination - Dunedin |
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) - Otago |
Nephrology (Renal) Services |
Neurology |
Neurosurgery Service |
Newborn Hearing Screening |
NZ Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Service (NZFGCS) |
Obstetrics and Gynaecology Services - Otago |
Older Persons Mental Health Services |
Oncology and Haematology - Otago |
Ophthalmology - Otago |
Orthopaedics - Otago |
Persistent Pain Service |
Plastic Surgery |
Puāwai Rehabilitation Unit |
Public Health Nursing - Te Punaka Oraka (Well Child Service) |
Public Health South |
Radiology - Otago |
Respiratory Services |
Rheumatology Services |
Sexual Health Clinic |
Smokefree South |
Te Puna Wai Ora, Critical Care - Dunedin Hospital |
Urology - Otago |
Vaccine Preventable Diseases |
Vascular Surgery |
Wakari Hospital, Dunedin |

Local Information
Rental agencies |
For short-term stays |
Getting around
- Public transport in Otago and Southland is primarily provided by buses. Information can be found on local council websites: Otago and Invercargill. The Otago Regional Council runs bus routes and ferries in Queenstown.
- Taxis and rideshare services such as Ola and Uber are available in the main centres. There are also various rental vehicle companies in the District.
Photo Credit: Nathan Cowley, Pexels.com


Relocating to the Southern District
Need some help with settling in? Use our settlement booklet as a handy guide to refer back to any time so you can feel right at home in Aotearoa in no time.
Take the next step
Made the decision to move to Aotearoa, New Zealand? Fill out our five-minute form with your details, and we'll match you to your preferred location based on your experience and preferences.




Your journey starts here
Register your interest by filling in the form below and one of our recruitment teams will get in touch shortly!