The Government says it has exceeded its frontline mental health and addiction workforce goal and hit key access targets, pointing to faster help for people seeking support.

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said 514 new mental health and addiction professionals were trained over the past year, above the target of 500 and up from 457 when reporting began. He said the Health NZ frontline mental health and addiction workforce has grown by more than 11 percent since the Government took office.

Wait times have also moved inside target ranges, according to the latest quarterly data. Nationally, 83 percent of people seeking primary mental health support are being seen within one week, and nearly 82 percent of people needing specialist services are being seen within three weeks. Both measures exceed the 80 percent targets set by the Government. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission has separately reported wait times have decreased since March 2023, which the Minister cited in support of the trend.

The Government has also met, for the first time, its goal to direct 25 percent of ring-fenced mental health and addiction funding to prevention and early intervention. Doocey said earlier support can stop problems escalating.

Workforce training numbers were a focus. The Government funded 74 clinical psychology interns, exceeding its 2025 target of 60. Psychiatry training intake rose to what the Minister called a record level, with 48 junior doctors entering Stage 1 training last year, up from 33 in 2024. The new trainees include occupational therapists, social workers, registered nurses, clinical psychology interns, and Stage 1 psychiatry trainees.

The release did not provide a regional breakdown of wait times or the absolute size of the workforce, nor details on retention or vacancy rates. The figures are drawn from quarter two of the 2025/26 targets reporting, with factsheets referenced by the Minister.