Hospitalisations of young children that could have been prevented with better primary care have dramatically risen.

Te Whatu Ora data shows such preventable hospitalisations for children up to four years old jumped 35 percent in the year ending June.

That's nationally - and it's even higher for Auckland alone, at 66 percent.

Interim chief clinical officer, Dr Richard Sullivan, says more young people are turning up with pneumonia and gastro illnesses.

"So we're really focusing on how we support our communities, our primary care colleagues- to really turn that dial around."

LISTEN ABOVE