2 April 2026
Harwood Wilson
[FYI request #33806 email]
Dear Harwood
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) on 23 February
2026 to the Of ice of Hon Matt Doocey, Minister for Mental Health and Associate Minister of
Health. You requested:
Based on your public statement of "Mental health nurse vacancies have halved since
coming into Government, falling from almost 15% in 2023 to just over 7%"
Please provide the following information:
1. What were the total number of mental health nurses immediately before you took
office?
2. What were the total number of mental health nurse vacancies immediately before
you took office?
3. What are the current total (February 2026) number of mental health nurses now?
4. What are the total (February 2026) number of mental health nurse vacancies
now?
Information relevant to your request was recently released under the Act and made publicly
available here:
https://fyi.org.nz/request/32941-mental-health-crisis-services-workforce-and-
suicidology-2015-2025#incoming-135903:~:text=View%20as%20HTML-,Appendix%20One,-
HNZ00105191%20Psychiatrists%20Psychiatric.
Appendix One of the linked response contains a breakdown of FTE as at 30 June each year
from 2020 to 2025 for psychiatric registrars, consultants, and mental health nurses with the
primary areas of work being in Mental Health. This data is collated quarterly and is therefore
only available at regular intervals, and not as at specific dates, as is requested.
