9267 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Health

9267 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Health: How much, if anything, has Te Whatu Ora saved since 27 November 2023 by not fulfilling vacancies in the Midcentral region?

Hon Simeon Brown: Health New Zealand's focus has remained on ensuring that the people of the MidCentral region have access to timely, quality healthcare while managing the loss of financial control that resulted from previous decisions to restructure the health system in the middle of a pandemic. I refer the Member to the recently released Health New Zealand Financial Review, which outlines this loss of financial control: https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/HNZ-Financial-Review-Report.pdf. I am advised that since 27 November 2023, there has been no bottom-line savings impact from vacancies, as spending on personnel has continued to meet service demands. This reflects Health New Zealand’s commitment to maintaining a strong frontline workforce, even in the face of broader financial challenges, including one-off costs such as back-pays.