Te Whatu Ora has apologised to the New Zealand Nurses Organisation after the Ombudsman found it acted “unreasonably” in delaying and obstructing the release of safe staffing data.

The figures, drawn from the Care Capacity Demand Management system used across hospitals, show that from January to November 2024, day shifts across all wards were understaffed 51% of the time, and evening shifts were understaffed 35% of the time.

NZNO strategic researcher Nathalie Jaques said the data confirms what members have been reporting. “Our members are telling Te Whatu Ora they are understaffed and overworked. They’re saying this is putting patient safety at risk.”

In a letter to Jaques, Te Whatu Ora said “refusing this request was not appropriate and may have contributed to delays in the important work you are undertaking on behalf of our kaimahi,” and that it is strengthening its processes to comply with the Official Information Act. NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter welcomed the apology as the right step.

The apology lands alongside further industrial action. More than 36,000 NZNO nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora are due to strike again tomorrow, the second walkout this week, after a year of bargaining over their collective agreement. NZNO says Te Whatu Ora has not addressed concerns about patient safety.

The union says tomorrow’s strike will run from 7am to 11pm and involve a complete withdrawal of labour at all Te Whatu Ora hospital and health services, with Life Preserving Services maintained. NZNO says it has been in negotiations with Te Whatu Ora since September 2024, including 28 days of talks — 13 with the Mediation Service and three in Employment Relations Authority facilitation.

Members plan a range of community actions during the strike, including marches, pickets, blood donations, stalls, barbecues and petition signings. Event details are available via NZNO’s channels.