Healthcare workforce

We have less than a third of the cardiologists we need.

New Zealand has just 173.2 full-time equivalent (FTEs) cardiologists nationwide - that’s only 32.8 per million people. International best practice calls for 95 per million.

This staff shortage means longer wait times, delayed diagnoses, and preventable deaths for patients and their whānau. For example, heart disease mortality rates are highest in Tairāwhiti, Lakes, Taranaki, and Whanganui - the same regions with the fewest cardiac staff and the most limited access to timely diagnosis and treatment.

Cardiac sonographers - the people who detect heart problems before they become emergencies - are also in crisis. New Zealand had half the number of cardiac sonographers in 2025 compared to 2013, despite a 17% population growth in the same period.

The respiratory workforce also faces structural failures.

New Zealand has never had a national respiratory strategy or workforce plan.

More than one million New Zealanders live with a respiratory condition, yet access to specialist care remains uncoordinated and inequitable across the country.

The Cardiac and Respiratory Foundation NZ is calling on the Government to:

• Require all tertiary hospitals to assess and increase dedicated cardiac bed capacity and cath lab staffing
• Target cardiology workforce investment in the Midland and Central regions to address inequitable access to care
• Establish a nationally maintained register of cardiac staff by region, led by Health New Zealand