2024 Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora adult workforce estimates

This report summarises estimates for the Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora (Te Whatu Ora) adult mental health and addiction services workforce on 31 March 2024. It compares this to estimates for March 2023.

The adult mental health and addiction workforce in Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora grew in the year to 31 March 2024, largely due to increases in nurses and support workers. There are fewer vacancies. There has been little change, however, in numbers of medical practitioners and allied health workers.

Te Pou estimates the Te Whatu Ora adult mental health and addiction workforce totals 7,910 FTE positions (employed and vacant) with a vacancy rate of nearly 10 percent. This compares with 7,566 FTE positions and a vacancy rate of 11 percent a year earlier, in 2023.

Positive signs of workforce recovery include more FTEs employed and fewer vacancies. Workforce development activities will need to sustain these improvements and address ongoing challenges, such as high vacancy rates for psychiatrists and high resignation rates for allied health workers.