Staffing levels and the need for additional cover vary around the country and the response to any workforce shortages are being managed locally at a regional, hospital or service level.

Te Whatu Ora is conscious there are some areas where demand is unusually high, and we will be asking our people if they would be willing to work additional hours in response. We respect the individual choice of our employees to work additional hours and that this decision is one they will make for themselves and for their teams. 

We acknowledge the extraordinary response of the health workforce and the way everyone responded to the pressure on services caused by the combination of COVID-19 and winter.  In relation to winter payments, these rates were in addition to normal pay, overtime and penal rates and applied to additional hours worked between 1 July and 30 September.

Where there is a need for additional hours or filling vacant shifts, local services will refer to existing terms and conditions that compensate for overtime, as incorporated in our collective agreements.