Kia ora Spencer
  
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act) to the Ministry of Health on 19 November 2025.
 
Your request asks for information which is more closely connected with the
functions of Health New Zealand. For this reason, the Ministry has decided
to transfer your request to Health New Zealand under section 14(b)(ii) of
the Act. You can expect a response from their agency in due course. Their
contact email is: [1][email address]. 
    
Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to ask the Ombudsman
to review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be
contacted by email at: [2][email address] or by calling 0800
802 602. 
  

Ngā mihi 

  

OIA Services Team

Ministry of Health  | Manatū Hauora 

M[3]inistry of Health information releases 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: SPENCER JONES <[FOI #32916 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 19 November 2025 12:47
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Cardiology, Stroke & Acute Medical
Services (2018–2025)
 
To: Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand
Cc: Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health; Te Whatu Ora National Cardiac
Network; National Stroke Network
Via: FYI.org.nz

Tēnā koutou,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following
aggregated national-level data for cardiology, stroke, and acute medical
services across New Zealand, covering the period 1 January 2018 to the
most recent data available in 2025.

No personally identifiable information is requested.

⸻

1. Cardiology workforce capacity (2018–2025)

For each calendar year 2018–2025, please provide:

1.1 Workforce numbers

For:
        •       Cardiologists
        •       Cardiac physiologists
        •       Cardiac sonographers / echocardiographers
        •       Allied cardiac technicians
        •       Cardiac catheter laboratory staff (nurses + technicians)

Please provide:
        •       Headcount
        •       Employed FTE
        •       Funded FTE
        •       Vacant FTE
        •       Vacancy rate (%)

1.2 Workforce shortages

Any national-level estimates or modelling of numerical FTE shortfall for
each profession, including forecasts to 2030 if available.

⸻

2. Cardiology wait times & service delays

For each year 2018–2025:

2.1 Diagnostics
        •       Median and 90th percentile wait times for:
        •       Echocardiography
        •       Exercise tolerance testing
        •       Holter monitoring
        •       CT coronary angiography
        •       Cardiac MRI

2.2 Treatment and intervention
        •       Average and median time from referral to:
        •       First specialist appointment (FSA)
        •       Angiography
        •       Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
        •       Electrophysiology procedures
        •       Number and % of patients breaching recommended timeframes
for chest pain or suspected cardiac disease.

2.3 Acute presentations
        •       Number of STEMI and NSTEMI cases per year
        •       Median time-to-balloon (door-to-balloon)
        •       Median time-to-lysis (if applicable)
        •       Number of hospitals meeting/not meeting national
performance indicators

If routinely held dashboards are used, please provide them.

⸻

3. Stroke workforce & capacity data (2018–2025)

3.1 Workforce

For:
        •       Stroke physicians
        •       Neurologists
        •       Stroke nurse specialists
        •       Thrombectomy-capable radiologists
        •       Rehabilitation physicians

Provide:
        •       Headcount, FTE, funded FTE, vacant FTE, vacancy rate.

3.2 Stroke pathway performance

For each year 2018–2025:
        •       Median time from ED arrival to CT/CTA
        •       Door-to-needle time for thrombolysis
        •       Door-to-groin time for thrombectomy
        •       % of stroke patients receiving thrombolysis
        •       % eligible patients receiving thrombectomy
        •       Availability of 24/7 thrombectomy across NZ (list
hospitals)

3.3 Delayed presentations

Any reports or dashboards showing:
        •       Increased late presentation (outside thrombolysis window)
        •       Causes identified such as ED delays, GP shortages, or
reduced acute capacity

⸻

4. Acute medical services (2018–2025)

Please provide:

4.1 Workforce

For acute medicine specialists and acute assessment units (AAUs):
        •       Headcount
        •       FTE
        •       Funded vs vacant FTE
        •       Sickness/absence FTE lost

4.2 ED & AAU performance indicators
        •       Median wait times for triage categories 1–5
        •       Number and % of patients leaving before being seen
        •       Breaches of 6-hour ED target (if still monitored
internally)
        •       Annual number of “unsafe staffing” or “red status” shifts
        •       Internal capacity/demand dashboards (with redactions if
required)

4.3 Bed capacity constraints

For each year:
        •       Number of medical beds
        •       Average occupancy rate
        •       Number of days >95% occupancy
        •       Instances of bed block or “access block”
        •       Transfers or diversions due to lack of acute capacity

⸻

5. Mortality risk indicators & adverse events (2018–2025)

These questions seek aggregated, non-identifiable data.

5.1 Adverse events linked to delays

Any aggregated national reporting on:
        •       Mortality associated with delayed cardiology or stroke
care
        •       Adverse events linked to delayed imaging, diagnostics, or
treatment
        •       Critical or severe harm events recorded in the national
incident management system relating to:
        •       ED overcrowding
        •       Acute bed shortages
        •       Delay in FSA
        •       Delay in radiology

If no analysis exists, please confirm.

5.2 “Deaths within 30 days of acute presentation”

If held, please provide annual aggregated totals for:
        •       Acute cardiac deaths within 30 days of presentation
        •       Acute stroke deaths within 30 days
        •       Deaths linked to delayed transfer or ED wait longer than 6
hours
(If not held, please confirm.)

⸻

6. Impacts of workforce shortages on acute outcomes

For 2018–2025, provide any internal risk assessments or reports
describing:
        •       Links between cardiology, stroke, or acute medicine
shortages and increased morbidity/mortality
        •       Clinical safety concerns raised by district clinical
directors
        •       Any warnings escalated to national leadership or Ministers
        •       Any reviews of “near-miss” or sentinel events relating to
acute care delays

If none exist, please confirm.

⸻

7. Ministerial briefings (2020–2025)

Please provide:
        •       A list of all briefings, memos, or reports to the Minister
of Health relating to:
        •       cardiology capacity
        •       stroke pathway performance
        •       ED overcrowding
        •       acute medical shortages
        •       any acute care risk or service degradation
        •       And provide the first five documents in each category.

⸻

8. Format
        •       Please provide numerical data in CSV or Excel where
possible.
        •       Provide documents as PDF.
        •       If another agency holds specific information (e.g.,
National Stroke Network), please transfer under s14.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones

-------------------------------------------------------------------

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show quoted sections

Kia ora Spencer,

 

Thank you for your Official Information Act request, received on 20
November 2025. I am writing in relation to the following part of your
request:

 

4.1 Workforce

For acute medicine specialists and acute assessment units (AAUs):

        •       Headcount

        •       FTE

        •       Funded vs vacant FTE

        •       Sickness/absence FTE lost

 

Health NZ does not store data specifically under the categories of acute
medicine specialists or acute assessment units (AAUs).

 

We suggest that you refine this part of your request to asking for Urgent
Care specialists or Emergency Medicine specialists.

 

Could you please confirm or otherwise by 5.00pm on 2 December 2025, if you
are comfortable refining part 4.1 of your request to: 

 

* Urgent Care specialists or Emergency Medicine specialists.

 

Please note, under section 15 of the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA),
any clarification or amendments made to a request within seven days after
the date it is received, that request may be treated as a new request and
the time limit for the response restarts. 

We look forward to receiving your response. 

 

Ngâ mihi, 
 

Kelly 
Government Services (OIA)
[1][email address]    

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora

Statement of confidentiality: This email message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use,
disseminate, distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have
received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and
delete this message

References

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1. mailto:[email address]

Tçnâ koe Spencer,

 

Thank you for your request transferred to Health NZ by Ministry of Health
on 21 November 2025, asking for the following information under the
Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA): 

 

“1. Cardiology workforce capacity (2018–2025)

For each calendar year 2018–2025, please provide:

1.1 Workforce numbers

For:

        •      Cardiologists

        •      Cardiac physiologists

        •      Cardiac sonographers / echocardiographers

        •      Allied cardiac technicians

        •      Cardiac catheter laboratory staff (nurses + technicians)

Please provide:

        •      Headcount

        •      Employed FTE

        •      Funded FTE

        •      Vacant FTE

        •      Vacancy rate (%)

1.2 Workforce shortages

Any national-level estimates or modelling of numerical FTE shortfall for
each profession, including forecasts to 2030 if available.

 

2. Cardiology wait times & service delays

For each year 2018–2025:

2.1 Diagnostics

        •      Median and 90th percentile wait times for:

        •      Echocardiography

        •      Exercise tolerance testing

        •      Holter monitoring

        •      CT coronary angiography

        •      Cardiac MRI

2.2 Treatment and intervention

        •      Average and median time from referral to:

        •      First specialist appointment (FSA)

        •      Angiography

        •      Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)

        •      Electrophysiology procedures

        •      Number and % of patients breaching recommended timeframes
for chest pain or suspected cardiac disease.

2.3 Acute presentations

        •      Number of STEMI and NSTEMI cases per year

        •      Median time-to-balloon (door-to-balloon)

        •      Median time-to-lysis (if applicable)

        •      Number of hospitals meeting/not meeting national
performance indicators

If routinely held dashboards are used, please provide them.

 

3. Stroke workforce & capacity data (2018–2025)

3.1 Workforce

For:

        •      Stroke physicians

        •      Neurologists

        •      Stroke nurse specialists

        •      Thrombectomy-capable radiologists

        •      Rehabilitation physicians

Provide:

        •      Headcount, FTE, funded FTE, vacant FTE, vacancy rate.

3.2 Stroke pathway performance

For each year 2018–2025:

        •      Median time from ED arrival to CT/CTA

        •      Door-to-needle time for thrombolysis

        •      Door-to-groin time for thrombectomy

        •      % of stroke patients receiving thrombolysis

        •      % eligible patients receiving thrombectomy

        •      Availability of 24/7 thrombectomy across NZ (list
hospitals)

3.3 Delayed presentations

Any reports or dashboards showing:

        •      Increased late presentation (outside thrombolysis window)

        •      Causes identified such as ED delays, GP shortages, or
reduced acute capacity

 

4. Acute medical services (2018–2025)

Please provide:

4.1 Workforce

For acute medicine specialists and acute assessment units (AAUs):

        •      Headcount

        •      FTE

        •      Funded vs vacant FTE

        •      Sickness/absence FTE lost

4.2 ED & AAU performance indicators

        •      Median wait times for triage categories 1–5

        •      Number and % of patients leaving before being seen

        •      Breaches of 6-hour ED target (if still monitored
internally)

        •      Annual number of “unsafe staffing” or “red status” shifts

        •      Internal capacity/demand dashboards (with redactions if
required)

4.3 Bed capacity constraints

For each year:

        •      Number of medical beds

        •      Average occupancy rate

        •      Number of days >95% occupancy

        •      Instances of bed block or “access block”

        •      Transfers or diversions due to lack of acute capacity

 

5. Mortality risk indicators & adverse events (2018–2025)

These questions seek aggregated, non-identifiable data.

5.1 Adverse events linked to delays

Any aggregated national reporting on:

        •      Mortality associated with delayed cardiology or stroke care

        •      Adverse events linked to delayed imaging, diagnostics, or
treatment

        •      Critical or severe harm events recorded in the national
incident management system relating to:

        •      ED overcrowding

        •      Acute bed shortages

        •      Delay in FSA

        •      Delay in radiology

If no analysis exists, please confirm.

5.2 “Deaths within 30 days of acute presentation”

If held, please provide annual aggregated totals for:

        •      Acute cardiac deaths within 30 days of presentation

        •      Acute stroke deaths within 30 days

        •      Deaths linked to delayed transfer or ED wait longer than 6
hours

(If not held, please confirm.)

 

6. Impacts of workforce shortages on acute outcomes

For 2018–2025, provide any internal risk assessments or reports
describing:

        •      Links between cardiology, stroke, or acute medicine
shortages and increased morbidity/mortality

        •      Clinical safety concerns raised by district clinical
directors

        •      Any warnings escalated to national leadership or Ministers

        •      Any reviews of “near-miss” or sentinel events relating to
acute care delays

If none exist, please confirm.

 

7. Ministerial briefings (2020–2025)

Please provide:

        •      A list of all briefings, memos, or reports to the Minister
of Health relating to:

        •      cardiology capacity

        •      stroke pathway performance

        •      ED overcrowding

        •      acute medical shortages

        •      any acute care risk or service degradation

        •      And provide the first five documents in each category.

 

8. Format

        •      Please provide numerical data in CSV or Excel where
possible.

        •      Provide documents as PDF.

        •      If another agency holds specific information (e.g.,
National Stroke Network), please transfer under s14.”

 

This email is to let you know that Health NZ needs more time to make a
decision on your request.

 

The OIA requires that we advise you of our decision on your request no
later than 20 working days after the day we received your request.
Unfortunately, it will not be possible to meet that time limit and we are
therefore writing to notify you of an extension of 20 working days to make
our decision, you can expect a response on or before 11 February 2026.

 

This extension is required because the request requires a search through a
large quantity of information and meeting the original time limit would
unreasonably interfere with our operations, and a proper response cannot
reasonably be made within the original time limit.

 

Please note the extension period factors in the OIA holiday period
(25/12/25 – 15/01/26) & Waitangi Day public holiday.

 

If you have any questions, please contact us
at [1][email address]. 

 

If you are not happy with this extension, you have the right to make a
complaint to the Ombudsman. Information about how to do this is available
at [2]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phoning 0800 802 602.

 

 

Ngâ mihi, 
 

Kelly
Government Services (OIA)
[3][email address]    

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora

 

Statement of confidentiality: This email message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use,
disseminate, distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have
received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and
delete this message

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
3. mailto:[email address]