Health NZ restructuring and job cuts

The story so far

Health New Zealand proposed a digital strategy to cut or pause more than 100 projects and reduce its data and digital workforce by over 1,000 positions, which the Public Service Association called unacceptable.^{10 Feb 2025} A Public Service Association survey of 1,300 health workers found over 80 per cent believe recent cuts and restructuring have damaged service delivery, contradicting government claims that front-line care would not be affected.^{3 Mar 2025} A Health Informatics NZ survey found nearly 98 per cent of health workers and IT experts believe the proposed digital budget cuts will harm patients, as inefficient IT systems already add to administrative workloads.^{12 Mar 2025}

Latest

Health NZ has stopped restructuring proposals in three areas, and some of the more than 50 staff who took early exits may be eligible to return.^{31 Mar 2025}

Key moments

1. 10 Feb 2025Union labels Health NZ digital strategy unacceptable; proposes 100-plus project cuts.
2. 3 Mar 2025Survey of 1,300 health workers: over 80 per cent say cuts damaged services.
3. 12 Mar 2025Nearly 98 per cent of surveyed health workers and IT experts say digital cuts will harm patients.
4. 31 Mar 2025Health NZ halts restructuring in three divisions after agreement with the union.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.