Thank you for contacting the Hon Simeon Brown, Minister of Health,
Minister for State Owned Enterprises, and Minister for Auckland.

If the topic of your correspondence falls outside of the Minister's
portfolio responsibilities, expresses a personal view, or is copied to
multiple Members of Parliament, then your email will be noted, and it may
be transferred to another Minister’s office, or there may be no further
response to you.

If your correspondence is related to a constituent matter, please get in
touch with the Minister’s electorate team by email
at[1][email address]

 

If it’s a medical emergency – call 111

This can include chest pain or tightness, difficulty breathing, choking,
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Associate Health Ministers

Please note that all emails are read, however please do not expect a
response from this office if your email relates to the below matters as
these responsibilities are delegated to Associate Ministers of Health.

·       Hon Matt Doocey, Minister for Mental Health and Associate Minister
of Health. If your matter relates to mental health, neurodiversity,
nutrition, or rural health, you can contact Hon Doocey by emailing
[2][email address].

·       Hon Casey Costello, Associate Minister of Health. If your matter
relates to emergency services, women’s health, aged care, or smoking and
vaping, you can contact Hon Costello by emailing
[3][email address].

·       Hon David Seymour, Associate Minister of Health. If your matter
relates to Pharmac, Medsafe, or medicines funding and supply, you can
contact Hon Seymour by emailing [4][email address].

Further delegations details of Associate Ministers of Health can be found
[5]here.

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28 29 26 8AM – 5:30PM Monday to Friday.

·       You can also visit: [7]bookmyvaccine.health.nz.

·       If you or your family are not happy with public health services
received, you can [8]contact Health New Zealand.

·       If you would like to raise a complaint about a health and
disability service,  you can also [9]contact the Health and Disability
Commissioner.

 

References

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1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[email address]
5. http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/our-business-uni...
6. https://www.healthpoint.co.nz/
7. https://bookmyvaccine.health.nz/
8. https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/corporate...
9. https://www.hdc.org.nz/making-a-complain...

Dear Hannah,

Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request, received on 17th March 2026, in which you requested the following information:

I am seeking information relating to Senior Medical Officer (SMO) workforce attrition across Health New Zealand districts over the most recent 12-month period available.

This request is made in the context of ongoing discussion around workforce shortages and service pressures within the public health system.

Specifically, I would be grateful for:

1. The number of SMOs who have left employment in each district / former DHB area over the past 12 months (including resignations, retirements, and other separations).

2. The total FTE represented by those departing SMOs in each district / former DHB area.

3. Where available, any internal reporting or analysis summarising trends in SMO attrition over this period.

4. Any data or reporting comparing SMO departures to new SMO appointments (i.e. net workforce change) over the same timeframe.

Your request will be answered within the provisions of the Official Information Act.

Kind regards,
Office of Hon Simeon Brown
Minister of Health, Minister for State Owned Enterprises, Minister for Auckland

Email: [email address]
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

-----Original Message-----
From: Hannah H <[FOI #34130 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 17 March 2026 9:16 PM
To: Simeon Brown (MIN) <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - SMO Workforce Loss

Dear Simeon Brown,

I am writing to request information under the Official Information Act 1982.

I am seeking information relating to Senior Medical Officer (SMO) workforce attrition across Health New Zealand districts over the most recent 12-month period available.

This request is made in the context of ongoing discussion around workforce shortages and service pressures within the public health system.

Specifically, I would be grateful for:

1. The number of SMOs who have left employment in each district / former DHB area over the past 12 months (including resignations, retirements, and other separations).

2. The total FTE represented by those departing SMOs in each district / former DHB area.

3. Where available, any internal reporting or analysis summarising trends in SMO attrition over this period.

4. Any data or reporting comparing SMO departures to new SMO appointments (i.e. net workforce change) over the same timeframe.

If possible, I would appreciate this information broken down by district and provided in spreadsheet format.

Yours faithfully,

Hannah H

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

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #34130 email]

Is [Simeon Brown request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Simeon Brown? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

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

hide quoted sections

Dear Hannah

Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), which was received by this Office on 17 March 2026.

I am writing to advise you that the information you have requested is not held by this Office but is believed to be held by Health New Zealand. Accordingly, your request is being transferred to Health New Zealand under section 14(b)(i) of the Act. You can expect to receive a response from Health New Zealand in due course.

Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review this decision. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at [email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.

Kind regards,

Office of Hon Simeon Brown
Minister of Health, Minister for State Owned Enterprises, Minister for Auckland
Email: [email address]
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

-----Original Message-----
From: Simeon Brown (MIN) <[email address]>
Sent: Wednesday, 18 March 2026 10:46 AM
To: Hannah H <[FOI #34130 email]>
Subject: SBOIA26-1055 RE: Official Information request - SMO Workforce Loss

Dear Hannah,

Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request, received on 17th March 2026, in which you requested the following information:

I am seeking information relating to Senior Medical Officer (SMO) workforce attrition across Health New Zealand districts over the most recent 12-month period available.

This request is made in the context of ongoing discussion around workforce shortages and service pressures within the public health system.

Specifically, I would be grateful for:

1. The number of SMOs who have left employment in each district / former DHB area over the past 12 months (including resignations, retirements, and other separations).

2. The total FTE represented by those departing SMOs in each district / former DHB area.

3. Where available, any internal reporting or analysis summarising trends in SMO attrition over this period.

4. Any data or reporting comparing SMO departures to new SMO appointments (i.e. net workforce change) over the same timeframe.

Your request will be answered within the provisions of the Official Information Act.

Kind regards,
Office of Hon Simeon Brown
Minister of Health, Minister for State Owned Enterprises, Minister for Auckland

Email: [email address]
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

-----Original Message-----
From: Hannah H <[FOI #34130 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 17 March 2026 9:16 PM
To: Simeon Brown (MIN) <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - SMO Workforce Loss

Dear Simeon Brown,

I am writing to request information under the Official Information Act 1982.

I am seeking information relating to Senior Medical Officer (SMO) workforce attrition across Health New Zealand districts over the most recent 12-month period available.

This request is made in the context of ongoing discussion around workforce shortages and service pressures within the public health system.

Specifically, I would be grateful for:

1. The number of SMOs who have left employment in each district / former DHB area over the past 12 months (including resignations, retirements, and other separations).

2. The total FTE represented by those departing SMOs in each district / former DHB area.

3. Where available, any internal reporting or analysis summarising trends in SMO attrition over this period.

4. Any data or reporting comparing SMO departures to new SMO appointments (i.e. net workforce change) over the same timeframe.

If possible, I would appreciate this information broken down by district and provided in spreadsheet format.

Yours faithfully,

Hannah H

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

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #34130 email]

Is [Simeon Brown request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Simeon Brown? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

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

hide quoted sections

Tçnâ koe,

 

Thank you for your email. 

 

Under the Official Information Act (OIA), agencies are required to respond
to requests for official information as soon as reasonably practicable and
no later than 20 working days after receiving them.

If your request is for data that Health NZ holds, have you checked
[1]Lighthouse first to see if the data you are seeking is already
published?

 

Lighthouse is a searchable catalogue that makes a range of data and
analytics products available to New Zealanders to enable easier, faster
access to insights about health services.

 

You can find further information about how OIA timeframes are calculated,
including the Ombudsman’s OIA calculator, at the link below:
[2]Official information calculators | Ombudsman New Zealand

 

We will provide a response to your request in line with the statutory
timeframes set out in the OIA.

We appreciate your understanding and patience during this time.

 

Ngâ mihi,
Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora

Statement of confidentiality: This email message and any accompanying
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https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/agen...

Kia ora Hannah, 
 
Thank you for your request for information regarding SMO Workforce Loss on
19 March 2026. Please find attached our response to your request.
 
If you have any questions, please get in touch at
[1][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 [2]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phoning 0800 802 602.
 
Ngā mihi, 
 

 

Cassandra
Government Services

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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