5 May 2026
Hannah H
[FYI request #34124 email]
Tēnā koe Hannah
Your request for official information, reference: HNZ00201848
Thank you for your email on 16 March 2026, that was transferred from the Office of Hon Simeon
Brown in his capacity as Minister of Health, asking Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (Health
NZ) for information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA). You requested:
1. Current and recent (past 12 months) data on RMO vacancies across Auckland Metro
districts, including both permanent and locum roles (by level and specialty where available).
2. The number of NZ-trained doctors who have applied for RMO or locum positions within this
period, and how many were successfully placed.
3. Any data, reporting, or internal analysis relating to NZ-trained doctors who remain unplaced
or underutilised.
4. Any internal communications, reports, or briefings discussing workforce shortages
alongside recruitment constraints or unmet applicant demand.
5. Policies or processes governing recruitment outside of the ACE matching system, including
locum engagement pathways.
6.
Any identified barriers (administrative, financial, or operational) to employing available NZ-
trained doctors within Auckland Metro districts.
Response
Health NZ experiences ongoing workforce pressure across a range of clinical roles, including
Resident Medical Officers (RMOs), both nationally and within the Auckland Metro districts. RMO
vacancies may arise due to factors such as workforce turnover, leave cover, rotation timing, and
short-term service pressures. These vacancies do not necessarily indicate persistent unfil ed
positions.
Health NZ is addressing longer-term workforce pressures through national workforce planning
initiatives focused on retention, training, recruitment, and improving workforce data and planning.
For clarity, I wil respond to each question in turn.
1. Current and recent (past 12 months) data on RMO vacancies across Auckland Metro
districts, including both permanent and locum roles (by level and specialty where available).
We have interpreted your request as referring to the most recent data available on RMO position
vacancies across the Auckland Metro districts, from 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026. Please
refer to the data and caveats provided in
Appendix One.
2. The number of NZ-trained doctors who have applied for RMO or locum positions within this
period, and how many were successfully placed.
3. Any data, reporting, or internal analysis relating to NZ-trained doctors who remain unplaced
or underutilised.
Health New Zealand does not hold information that identifies the number of New Zealand-trained
doctors who applied for, or were successfully placed into, RMO or locum positions during the
period requested.
While some application and appointment data is held across separate systems, this information
cannot be reliably linked at an individual level, and Health New Zealand does not hold data
identifying whether applicants are New Zealand-trained doctors. Producing the information
requested would require the creation of new data through analysis and reconciliation of multiple
data sources.
Therefore, this part of your request is refused under section 18(g) of the OIA, as the information is
not held as requested.
4. Any internal communications, reports, or briefings discussing workforce shortages
alongside recruitment constraints or unmet applicant demand.
On 30 March 2026, we contacted you to refine this part of your request to reports provided to the
Regional Director regarding workforce shortages. On 6 April 2026, you agreed to the suggested
refinement.
Fol owing reasonable searches, we have not identified any reports held by Health NZ that fall
within the scope of the refined request. Therefore, this part of your request is refused under section
18(e) of the OIA, as the information requested does not exist.
5. Policies or processes governing recruitment outside of the ACE matching system, including
locum engagement pathways.
Health NZ does not hold separate policies specific to recruitment outside of the ACE matching
system or locum engagement pathways. Al information regarding the recruitment process is
publicly available on our website
: Our application and recruitment process | Careers.
6.
Any identified barriers (administrative, financial, or operational) to employing available NZ-
trained doctors within Auckland Metro districts.
No specific administrative, financial, or operational barriers have been identified. Health NZ works
within approved RMO FTE and appointment parameters to employ available NZ-trained and
overseas doctors into RMO positions.
Therefore, this part of your request is refused under section 18(g) of the OIA, as the information is
not held.
How to get in touch
If you have any questions, you can contact us at
[email address].
If you are not happy with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman. Information about how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
by phoning 0800 802 602.
As this information may be of interest to other members of the public, Health NZ may proactively
release a copy of this response on our website. Al requester data, including your name and
contact details, wil be removed prior to release.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Matthew McLay
Manager Government Services
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
