29293 (2024). Ingrid Leary to the Minister for Mental Health

29293 (2024). Ingrid Leary to the Minister for Mental Health: How many vacancies are there, if any, for psychotherapists in the Central region?

Hon Matt Doocey: I am aware that New Zealand is experiencing workforce shortages across the mental health and addiction sector. These shortages are reflective of wider health workforce shortages nationally and internationally. Our mental health and addictions services are under significant pressure to grow capacity and to keep pace with demand. Workforce supply issues and shortages in the mental health and addiction workforce is currently part of the development of the Health Workforce Plan 2024-2027. I am advised that Health New Zealand has active work programmes underway to increase and upskill all the workforces in mental health and addiction. The initiatives span from encouraging junior doctors and medical students into psychiatry through to developing peer specialist roles in hospital services.