20370 (2026). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

20370 (2026). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: How many, if any, of the nurse practitioner candidates approved for funding under the Nurse Practitioner Training Support Scheme have been Health New Zealand employees broken down by financial year since the establishment of the programme?

Hon Simeon Brown: I am advised that 36 current nurse practitioner candidates are employed by Health New Zealand. I am further advised Health NZ does not hold data centrally on the number of Nurse Practitioner candidates approved for funding under the Nurse Practitioner Training Support Scheme who have previously been employed by Health NZ. This data is held in individual candidate applications, therefore providing the Member with this information would require Health NZ to undertake a substantial manual collation exercise and divert staff from its core duties. In accordance with Speaker’s Ruling 210-6, I consider that the time, and hence the expense, of answering the Member’s question is not in the public interest.