Photo: RNZOne of the thousands of North Island health workers who were not paid overnight has been dipping into her son's bank account while she has just $2 in hers. Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) is scrambling to pay about 5500 staff in Waikato after a payment glitch. Waikato Hospital health worker Helen, who did not what her surname used, told RNZ she felt embarrassed having to ask for money. Apologies from HNZ were not enough and IT failures had become a recurring feature of the public health system, Fitzsimons said. Health Minister Simeon Brown acknowledged staff who worked through the night to fix the problem.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 05, 2026 14:56 UTC