Health NZ apologises to nurses over safe staffing data as strikes escalate
Wednesday, 3 September 2025
Health NZ has apologised to the nurses’ union for acting “unreasonably” in withholding safe staffing data ‒ figures that show hospitals are short-staffed on more than half of day shifts.
The apology comes on the eve of a second nationwide strike this week by 36,000 nurses, midwives and health workers.
The Care Capacity Demand Management (CCDM) data, eventually released under the Official Information Act, showed that between January and November 2024, 51% of day shifts across public hospitals were understaffed and 35% of evening shifts were below recommended levels.
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) said the figures directly contradicted Health NZ’s assertions that it had too many nurses on its books and was facing a deficit because of “over-recruitment”.
NZNO strategic researcher Nathalie Jaques said the numbers reflected the experience of nurses on the ground. “Our members are telling Te Whatu Ora they are understaffed and overworked. They're saying this is putting patient safety at risk.”
The Ombudsman found Te Whatu Ora had “unreasonably” delayed and obstructed NZNO’s April 2024 request for the CCDM data, wrongly refusing it on the basis that it might prejudice negotiations.
In a letter to NZNO, Health NZ’s OIA manager Danielle Coe apologised for “any frustration” caused by the delay.
“We acknowledge that refusing this request was not appropriate and may have contributed to delays in the important work you are undertaking on behalf of our kaimahi.”
She added that the agency was “proactively strengthening its processes to ensure we meet our obligations under the Official Information Act, particularly in relation to timeliness and the clear communication of decisions on requests”.
NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter welcomed the apology as “the right thing to do”.
But tensions remain high, with NZNO members set to strike again on Thursday. The action will see a complete withdrawal of labour at every Health NZ hospital and health service nationwide, with only life-preserving services maintained.
It follows a strike on Tuesday and comes after nearly a year of bargaining, which has included 28 days of negotiations, 13 with mediation and three through facilitation at the Employment Relations Authority.
Nurses say safe staffing is the core issue. The CCDM system measures shortages, but does not compel Health NZ to hire more staff when wards fall below safe levels.
Earlier this week Richard Sullivan, the agency’s executive national director of clinical, said “shifts below target” was a “moment in time” operational measure and not a direct proxy for unsafe staffing.
He said the data needed to be interpreted alongside other factors such as skill mix, clinical judgment and patient outcomes.
“Using this data in isolation to claim that wards are under-staffed and unsafe is misleading,” Sullivan said.
He pointed to stable or improving patient safety indicators such as in-hospital deaths, surgical site infections and falls.
Sullivan said nurse numbers had risen by more than 3000 FTE in the past two years, with turnover dropping from 13.3% to 8.1%. “There are now more nurses working in our hospitals than ever before.”
As part of Thursday’s strike, NZNO members will march, picket and hold public events including blood donations, stalls and petition signings.