Canterbury DHB says it had to defer up to 57 elective surgeries due to the nurses strike

Thousands of nurses nationwide stepped off the job on Wednesday to strike for better pay and working conditions.

Canterbury DHB chief executive Dr Peter Bramley says on a Wednesday, during a normal week, they'd do an average of 49 acute and 57 elective cases.

Bramley says most of the planned surgeries were moved to either before or after the strike.

A DHBs spokesperson says it could be some time, before the full impact of the strike in other parts of the country is known.