21 Oct 2024

Health NZ accepts more than 400 voluntary redundancies

12:01 pm on 21 October 2024
Composite of an empty hospital bed, the Beehive and a gold coin.

Photo: Unsplash / RNZ

Health NZ has accepted just over 400 applications from staff to take voluntary redundancy.

It called for voluntary redundancies in August as it tries to cut costs to head off a huge deficit.

Its chief executive, Margie Apa, said they were continuing to assess applications.

She said front-line clinical staff were not eligible.

Health NZ said it was unable to talk about what effect the redundancies would have on budgets while the process was ongoing.

Voluntary redundancy was offered to a limited number of staff working in administration, policy advisory and specialist services.

Junior doctors warned losing admin support would hurt patients as they would have less time to care for them.

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