Ayesha Verrall pauses public schedule while recovering from unexpected surgery

Labour health spokesperson Dr Ayesha Verrall has temporarily stepped back from her usual schedule after an unexpected surgery at Wellington Hospital.

Verrall revealed the health setback in a social media post on Monday evening, saying she was recovering from what she described as “unplanned (but much-needed) surgery”. She has not disclosed the nature of the procedure.

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The senior Labour MP said the operation forced her to rearrange upcoming commitments while she takes time to recover.

“I’ve had to change my schedule to allow for some recovery time,” Verrall wrote.

She also paid tribute to the medical teams who treated her, singling out the doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants and other hospital staff involved in her care at Wellington Hospital.

Verrall said she was “extremely grateful” for the treatment she had received and indicated she planned to return to her political work following her recovery.

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“Then it’s right back to fighting for the strong public health system and affordable care that everyone deserves,” she said.

No further details have been released about the surgery or how long Verrall is expected to remain away from her regular duties.

Verrall is one of Labour’s leading voices on health policy. She entered Parliament in 2020 after working as an infectious diseases specialist at Wellington Hospital and later served in Cabinet, where her work included changes to cervical screening, abortion services and smokefree policy.

She is Labour’s candidate for Wellington North in the 2026 general election.

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