Starship Children's Hospital opened in 1991. It is one of New Zealand’s key specialist children's health facilities, treating around 120,000 children every year. Around 20 per cent of those patients require lengthy periods of time in the hospital.  These children are provided fun activities to assist them during their stay. These include the Starship school, play specialists and Radio Lollipop.

As a specialist facility, Starship is also a national resource which delivers health services for patients from around New Zealand.  These patients are children with very serious and complex health conditions.  Starship is also the country’s leading paediatric research and teaching facility.

Starship's building is linked to Auckland City Hospital. The two Emergency Departments, adults and children, have been built side-by-side and links all the buildings together.

Key childrens' heart services were transferred from the now decommissioned Green Lane Hospital.  The Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Services are also part of Starship Children’s Health.

Starship also has the fundraising support of the Starship Foundation which has successfully raised extra funds for specific projects for over a decade.  The Foundation has had a number of high-profile New Zealand companies and celebrities associated with it.