Nearly one in 10 nursing roles vacant

More than one in four midwifery roles are vacant across the country’s hospitals, and nearly one in 10 nursing roles.

Data released after a written parliamentary question showed that as of March 31, there was an average vacancy rate of 27.6% for midwives across the nowdisestablished district health boards.

Taranaki had the highest vacancy rate in the country (56%), with more unstaffed midwife roles than it has full-time staff. There are 23 vacant roles with only 18 midwives in post.

Otago, Queenstown and Lakes (Southern) also had high midwife vacancy rates, 45.2%, and Wellington had a vacancy rate of 39.3%.

National Party health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti, who released the data, said hospitals ‘‘are falling apart’’ and doctors and nurses were ‘‘burnt out’’.

It comes as winter illnesses are taking a toll on the health system, swamping primary care and emergency departments. EDs and urgent care clinics are reporting they are they busiest they’ve ever been, as the Ministry of Health says New Zealand is facing one of its ‘‘most challenging’’ flu seasons in recent years.

The data shows there were 982.28 contracted full-time equivalent midwives employed across the 20 health boards, while 374.07 roles were vacant.

Only Whanganui did not have any midwife vacancies as of March 31. All other health boards had gaps.

For the purposes of collating the data, a vacancy was an unfilled permanent position that has funding allocated and would be actively recruited for within six months.

It remained a vacancy when temporarily filled. It excluded casuals, contractors and people on parental leave or leave without pay.

The data also showed that as of March 31, 9.4% of registered nurses roles across the district health boards (including senior nurses) were vacant.

Auckland’s health district needed 428 nurses, Counties Manukau was short 321 and Wellington had 308 roles vacant.

Across the country, there were 25,012 contracted full-time equivalent registered nurses as of March 31.

A further 2592 roles were vacant, the data showed.

Reti said Aotearoa critically needs nurses and midwives.

‘‘Some regions are reaching dangerously high levels of job vacancies, and it only highlights the urgency of getting nurses and midwives placed on the fast-track straight to residence pathway.’’