The name Mercy can trace its roots back to 1850, when the Sisters of Mercy implemented their concept of one-to-one care for the sick.

Our association with the Mercy name is coming to a close, as we always knew it would, and now is the time to build our own identity. The addition of the new theatre block at Mercy Hospital in 2025 is the perfect time to make this change. And, because we believe in simplifying healthcare, we’ve decided to simplify our name, too. So we’re bringing our brands together into one house.

That’s why, from April 2025, we will be known as Allevia Hospitals – as in ‘alleviate’, born from our mission to alleviate the health concerns of our patients.

Allevia Health will be the umbrella brand for the company, and the name Allevia will preface many of the existing services in our ecosystem, such as Allevia Hospitals and Allevia Radiology.

But this is just the beginning, as we set out on an exciting new approach to private healthcare in this country.

We recognise that over the years, medical science has made huge advances, but we’ve never lost sight of the fact that the needs of our patients come first.

That’s why we’re working at providing a A Better Health Journey – a clear path and team approach leading to faster diagnosis and treatment times, and the best outcomes for our patients.

After all, it’s not just about what we can do, it’s about what our patients need.

You can rest assured these changes do not represent a change in our people or our high standards of service.

Allevia Health remains a proud New Zealand company. As one of the largest private healthcare groups in the country, the day-to-day operations of our wide network of services will function as before.

Our network of GPs has been informed of these changes. When they refer you to one of our specialists, you can expect the same seamless process. And current and potential patients will also be informed to make it easier for them to navigate our services.

It’s an exciting time to be associated with Allevia Health, so come with us as we set out to ensure A Better Health Journey for all.

Allevia Health is the name of the group that heads our organisation. MercyAscot Hospitals will become Allevia Hospitals, specifically Allevia Hospital Epsom and Allevia Hospital Ascot. Mercy Radiology changes to Allevia Radiology.

There is a myriad of other health providers within our organisation, many of which will also use the Allevia name.

Check out our short film on where we’ve come from, why we’re changing, what the change will be, and why it’s a good thing. Come with us on A Better Health Journey with this brief, enlightening story.

Public announcement of new name: March 2025
Official launch of Allevia Health: April 2025

FAQs

Why the change of name?

We acknowledge the heritage of the Mercy name, but the agreed timeline to share this name with the Sisters of Mercy is drawing to a close, so it’s time for us to change. This is also a great opportunity to bring the different companies of Healthcare Holdings under one umbrella: Allevia Hospitals, Allevia Radiology. Allevia Breast Institute and Allevia Hospital Kensington, amongst others

How will this make things better?

By bringing our brands together, we aim to make it easier for you to access all the healthcare services you might need in one group, and develop new care models that deliver smoother, timely and more effective health outcomes.

Why did we choose the name Allevia?

It’s a totally original name, based on the word ‘alleviate’ - born from our mission to alleviate the health concerns of our patients. We undertook extensive research in developing this name.

How are the various companies named?

Allevia Health is the name of the group that heads our organisation. MercyAscot Hospitals will become Allevia Hospitals, specifically Allevia Hospital Epsom and Allevia Hospital Ascot. Mercy Radiology changes to Allevia Radiology and Mercy Breast Clinic becomes Allevia Breast Institute.

A few other services have changed names too – such as the Allevia Café and Allevia Pharmacy.

Will there be changes to services?

Our high standard of service will never change. Our renewed promise to patients - A Better Health Journey – is a clear commitment to keep improving on the already high standards of our healthcare services that we are known for.

What does A Better Health Journey mean?

A Better Health Journey is a renewed promise to our patients. It’s our approach to healthcare – centered around our patients - where our people strive to deliver smoother, timely, and more effective health outcomes within our world-class facilities.

Are health insurers and other referrers aware of the change?

Yes, all our key stakeholders have been notified of the timeline for our transition.

When do we start seeing changes?

The physical change over will begin on 2 April 2025. You may start to see some changes before then, and some others may take longer to finalise, but by 2 April our most visible aspects, such as our website, online presence, forms and stationery, will be in place. Other aspects like signage, will begin installation from April.