New simulated operation room training hopes to halve the number of patients being injured through surgery.
ACC pays out for an average of 1560 treatment injury claims a year for perioperative harm - injuries that occur during or around the time of an operation - and it costs them $10.2 million annually.
Treatment injuries have been increasing over the past five years and new teamwork training could be the answer.
A pilot study revealed surgeons weren't communicating properly during operations.
"We should be able to reduce the perioperative incidents by up to 50 percent by this training so that's a significant improvement in patient safety," says Dr Peter Robinson, ACC chief clinical advisor.
Associate Professor Jennifer Weller from the University of Auckland has helped develop a system in which surgical teams can practice working together on a computerised mannequin.
"You can control it, you can put standardised tests into it, you can put challenges, and then you can talk about it afterwards."
Hamiltonian Matt McCulloch underwent a hip operation five years ago, but a mistake left him with nerve damage and a limp.
"When trying to force it back in they hit my nerve, which caused my knee down to go limp and my foot to go hypersensitive."
He's a big fan of the new team-training.
"Absolutely, if someone can have a surgery and wake up and be perfectly fine, I'm all in," he says.
ACC is investing $9.6 million in the project, which will be rolled out across all DHBs over the next five years.
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