Concerns are mounting over the potential impact of proposed budget cuts to New Zealand’s health system, which could lead to non-clinical staff losing their jobs.

Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall has warned that patient care could suffer significantly if these cuts proceed.

Te Whatu Ora is calling for voluntary redundancies among non-clinical staff.

These roles, which include booking patient appointments, ordering medical supplies, and ensuring that nurses get paid, are essential for the day-to-day operations of hospitals and clinics.

Health NZ Chief Executive Margie Apa said, “We need to move towards being a more efficient organisation and focus our resources on the delivery of frontline healthcare. A number of initiatives are already in place to support this, but it is now clear that, by themselves, they will not resolve the financial issue or help ensure we have the right people in the right places.”

Apa explained that with the majority of the organisation’s expenditure going towards people costs, a review of Health NZ’s size and structure is necessary. “We are therefore providing the opportunity for eligible staff to consider voluntary redundancy ahead of likely formal change consultation processes over the coming months,” she said. “Inviting expressions of interest for voluntary redundancy is not a reflection on the individual’s performance. We want impacted staff to be treated fairly and with respect, and other staff in their areas to feel supported following any changes.”

However, Ayesha Verrall said  “these staff are the backbone of our health system, the people who keep it running,” she said. “They do important jobs like booking patient appointments, ordering medical supplies, and making sure nurses get paid. They purchase the syringes, gloves, and equipment nurses use, and make sure x-rays, scans, and tests are entered into records, among all the other things that make patient care better for staff and patients.”

Verrall said, “I worked in New Zealand hospitals when cuts were made to the health system by the last National government. It resulted in a less efficient system as clinical staff were pulled away from patients to deal with admin.”

Verrall also criticised the National Party’s proposed tax cuts, which she claims could exacerbate the funding issues facing the health system. “Nicola Willis’ reckless tax cuts are not worth losing the very people who keep our health system going,” she said. “Underfunding of our health system will always affect patient care, no matter how well-intentioned or hardworking clinical staff are. They are already running on a shoestring because of cost pressures as a result of the National Government’s choices.”

She called on Shane Reti, the National Party’s health spokesperson, to explain how the health system could function effectively without the support of non-clinical staff. “Shane Reti needs to explain how a modern, efficient, patient-centred health system can function without non-clinical staff supporting the frontline,” Verrall said.