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As New Zealand hospitals faced a growing financial crisis, Health New Zealand leaders gathered at a three-day national conference in March at Wellington’s Sky Stadium, with a catering bill of $60,000.
The event, titled Connect 24, cost $9,200 on canapés alone, while lunch and breakfast added nearly $52,000 to the total.
The timing of the event was controversial, as Health NZ had recently warned Health Minister Shane Reti of a looming half-billion-dollar budget overrun due to nurse recruitment. Despite concerns, Health NZ defended the conference, calling it a one-off meeting aimed at aligning leadership with the government’s priorities.
Amid criticisms over spending during a financial crisis, Reti told state media that Health NZ must prioritise frontline services.
The conference’s workshops on financial productivity and transparency, while still considered relevant, faced scrutiny as several leaders involved have since lost their jobs or been reassigned following Health NZ’s financial deficit, now exceeding a billion dollars.
The event has sparked questions about Health NZ’s financial discipline, particularly as hospitals continue to struggle under financial strain. Health NZ has since assured that no similar conferences will be held in the current fiscal environment.
This article was originally published by the Daily Telegraph New Zealand.
