New Zealand’s hospitals were short an average of 587 nurses every shift last year, a new Infometrics report prepared for Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) has found.
The Infometrics report How many more nurses does New Zealand need? analysed Te Whatu Ora data from 1.69 million shifts from 2022 to 2024 in 59 public hospitals.
It found on average between 2022 and 2024 the country’s hospitals were short 635 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) nurses every shift (page 20, table 6). While there was a slight improvement in 2024 with an average shortage of 587 nurses, on some shifts it rose to 848 nurses. The shortage was worse in 2023 when it averaged 684 nurse shortages but rose to a maximum of 937 nurses short.
NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter says the report puts paid to Te Whatu Ora’s claims hospitals aren’t short-staffed.
“With 592 hospital wards and emergency departments throughout the country, Te Whatu Ora’s own data – which they fought to keep secret – shows that almost every ward, every shift is short-staffed.
“This report highlights the effect of Aotearoa New Zealand’s aging population and people being sicker when they get to hospital because they can’t get into their GPs.
“The hiring of 3000 Te Whatu Ora nurses last year shows the growing demand for hospital services, but patient needs are still not being met. Patient safety is being put at risk because of short staffing and the ongoing recruitment freeze. This is an abject failure of workforce planning,” Paul Goulter says.
The data in the report is collected through the Care Capacity Demand Management safe staffing programme which the former District Health Boards adopted in 2009 but have never properly implemented, he says. The need for safe staffing levels to protect patient safety has become a central issue for collective bargaining between Te Whatu Ora and NZNO.
“The numbers in this report are eyewatering. But sadly, these aren’t just numbers. This represents years of care patients have missed out on.
“The Coalition Government can choose to address short staffing in our hospitals by funding them based on patient need, not to meet their cost cutting budget requirements. More nurses equals safer care,” Paul Goulter says.