16 April 2026
Hannah H
[FYI request #34171 email]
Tēnā koe Hannah
Your request for official information, reference: HNZ00202004
Thank you for your email on 19 March 2026 which was transferred to us from Hon Simeon Brown’s
Office on 25 March 2026, asking Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora for the following under the
Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA):
I am seeking information relating to the nursing workforce, including both registered nurses
and student nurses, 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,
training pipelines, and service pressures within the public health system.
Specifically, I would be grateful for:
1 The number of registered nurses 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 nurses in each district / former DHB area.
3 The number of new registered nurse appointments in each district / former DHB area over
the same period.
4 Any available data comparing nurse departures to new appointments (i.e. net workforce
change) by district.
Please refer to
Appendix one attached in response to the four questions above.
5 The number of student nurses (including final-year students or graduate nurses)
employed or placed within each district / former DHB area over the same period, including
any structured programmes (e.g. NETP or equivalent).
The
table below sets out the number of graduate registered nurses hired through the Advanced
Choice of Employment – Registered Nurse (ACE-RN) process between 1 January 2025 and 31
December 2025, across the Mid-year 2025 and End of Year 2025 intakes, broken down by
district/employer and by ACE-RN intake. Please note that:
• ACE runs two recruitment rounds each year for graduate registered nurses: Mid-year and End
of Year. The ACE-RN process comprises both a match process and a talent pool process. The
Mid-year intake opens in April, with the Talent Pool generally operating from July to October
following the match process. The End of Year intake opens in August, with the Talent Pool
generally operating from November/December to June of the following year following the
match process.
• The figures do not include applicants who declined their matched offers.
• The total hired numbers include those that have been in employed into Health New Zealand
including primary health care, aged residential care, and community employers. These
external providers are included under the Health New Zealand districts for the ACE-RN
process.
• The figures are reported as at 31 December 2025. The End of Year 2025 talent pool opened
on 1 December 2025, followed by the match process. Employers continue to hire applicants
from the talent pool as vacancies arise until it closes on 19 June 2026.
• The total hired figure includes only applicants who have been hired through the ACE-RN
process and reported to ACE. It excludes graduate registered nurses hired by districts outside
of the ACE-RN process.
To provide information regarding graduate registered nurses hired by districts outside of the ACE-
RN process would require a substantial amount of time and resource to identify and collate, we are
therefore refusing this information under section 18(f) of the OIA.
Table: graduate registered nurses hired through the Advanced Choice of Employment –
Registered Nurse (ACE-RN) process
Health NZ Region/ District
2025 (Mid-Year) 2025 (End-Year)
2025
Central
79
200
279
Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley
26
115
141
Te Matau a Māui Hawke's Bay
28
22
50
Te Pae Hauora o Ruahine o Tararua
MidCentral
16
52
68
Wairarapa
0
10
10
Whanganui
9
1
10
Northern
202
216
418
Counties Manukau
55
58
113
Te Tai Tokerau, Northland
16
21
37
Te Toka Tumai Auckland
73
79
152
Waitematā
58
58
116
Te Manawa Taki
60
178
238
Hauora a Toi Bay of Plenty
1
41
42
Lakes
0
23
23
Tairāwhiti
1
10
11
Taranaki
12
22
34
Waikato
46
82
128
Te Waipounamu
78
254
332
Nelson Marlborough
0
33
33
South Canterbury
6
15
21
Southern
8
113
121
Te Tai o Poutini West Coast
2
8
10
Waitaha Canterbury
62
85
147
Grand Total
419
848 1267
6 Any internal reporting or analysis summarising trends in nursing workforce attrition,
recruitment, or student nurse integration over this period.
Please refer to
Appendix two attached for the NZ-based Registered Nurse (RN) Rates and the
Rates Methodology.
Where we have refused to provide information under section 18(f) of the OIA we have considered
whether fixing a charge for the supply of the information or extending the timeframe for response
would enable Health NZ to respond. I do not consider that either option would remove the impact
that supplying the information would have on our other operations.
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
TeWhatuOra.govt.nz
Health NZ, PO Box 793,
Wellington 6140, New Zealand
