34330 (2026). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

34330 (2026). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: How many of the 1,845 graduate registered nurses employed across the wider health sector, as refered to in his announcement on 23 July 2026 were employed directly by Health New Zealand, and how many by primary care, community services, NGOs, and aged residential care providers respectively?

Hon Simeon Brown: I am advised that of the graduate registered nurses who applied through ACE in the 2025/26 financial year, 1,666 were employed by Health New Zealand and 179 were employed by primary care and private employers. Of those 179 nurses, 134 were employed in primary care and aged residential care, and 45 were employed by private employers. As the Member will be aware, Health New Zealand expects to hire the largest number of graduate nurses this year than in any of the previous seven years.