Nurse staffing levels have emerged as a contentious issue in this election year, amid growing pressures on hospital emergency departments from winter illnesses such as influenza, union campaigns calling for more nurses, and public protests.
Health Minister Simeon Brown has repeatedly cited increases in nursing staff since his government took office on November 27, 2023. In November last year, Brown stated that around 2,000 additional nurses had been hired, later revising this figure to 2,100 at the National Party conference in June 2024. However, the interpretation of these numbers has been disputed. Critics argue the “additional” figure was presented without clarifying whether it reflected a net increase or the total number of hires, including replacements for departing staff.
In Parliament, Brown acknowledged that the net increase in full-time equivalent (FTE) nurses employed by Health New Zealand between March 2024 and March 2026 was approximately 54 FTEs. He also noted that the larger figure of 1,640 FTE increases he cited covered a broader time frame from September 2023 to March 2026, a period overlapping with the previous Labour government’s tenure. This wider span includes initial hiring decisions made under the prior administration.
Health New Zealand’s workforce reports, released quarterly, underpin these figures. Brown reported that as of now, the organization is recruiting for 2,378 FTE nursing roles, with 475 nurses having accepted offers. He highlighted a reduced turnover rate—from 11.7% down to 8.4%—and a lower vacancy rate, from 8.6% to 5.2%.
Similar figures were provided regarding medical doctors, a role also in shortage. Brown stated that between March 2024 and March 2026, Health New Zealand employed a net additional 502 FTE doctors, noting periods under Labour when doctor numbers declined. Extending the period back to September 2023, the net increase in doctors would be 942 FTEs.
Opposition spokesperson Carmel Verrall contends that the current government imposed a hiring freeze on nurses early in its term and accuses Brown of combining data from both the previous and current governments to obscure the actual net hiring figures. Brown refutes the existence of any hiring freeze, pointing out the 1% increase in nursing FTEs from March 2024 to March 2025. However, data broken down by region over the past decade shows mixed outcomes—approximately half the regions experienced slight rises in nurse staffing, while the rest saw declines during this period.
Overall, the net national change in nurse FTEs between March 2024 and March 2026 was minimal—an increase of just 54 positions. Many of the hires appeared to be replacements rather than growth in the workforce.
A review of Health New Zealand’s nurse staffing data over the last ten years reveals that this period of limited growth follows a significant expansion during the final year of the Labour government and the early months of the current administration, when 2,900 net new nursing positions were added—equivalent to a 10% increase from the previous year.
The nurse staffing issue remains politically charged, with debate over the government’s record on recruitment and its impact on health services as the election approaches.