Whānau Āwhina Plunket is warning that mounting financial pressures are threatening its ability to deliver essential health services to babies, young children and whānau across Aotearoa, with frontline nurses saying staffing shortages and funding shortfalls are placing increasing strain on the country’s largest Well Child provider.
Speaking to Radio Waatea, Kelly Morrissey, a Plunket nurse and New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) National Delegate, says the organisation is struggling to maintain services despite growing demand, leaving nurses stretched and raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of community-based child health care.
The concerns come despite a commitment in the 2023 coalition agreement between the National Party and New Zealand First to ensure Plunket was funded to carry out its work effectively. However, Budget 2026 did not include a dedicated funding allocation for the organisation, leaving Plunket to continue relying heavily on community fundraising, grants and charitable support to supplement its government contracts.
Growing Pressure on Frontline Nurses
One of the biggest challenges facing the organisation is pay disparity.
Plunket nurses are estimated to earn between 10 and 25 percent less than nurses performing similar roles within Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora hospitals.
Advocates say the wage gap has made it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain experienced nurses, particularly at a time when demand for healthcare professionals remains high across the sector.
The situation became more difficult following the Government’s decision in 2025 to discontinue dozens of pay equity claims, including Plunket’s claim, which was reportedly close to being lodged.
Closing the pay gap has been estimated to require approximately $10 million in additional funding.
Rising Costs, Fewer Resources
Like many community health providers, Plunket is also facing increased operational costs driven by inflation, fuel prices and the expense of delivering home-based services across urban and rural communities.
While contract funding has continued, staff say annual increases have not kept pace with the actual cost of delivering care.
The Ministry of Health has maintained that Plunket is one of more than 60 Well Child/Tamariki Ora providers funded through collectively negotiated contracts rather than receiving its own standalone Budget appropriation.
However, nurses argue that the funding model is no longer keeping pace with demand.
More Families, Less Time
Staff shortages are having a direct impact on frontline services.
Some nurses are now managing exceptionally large caseloads, with reports that individual practitioners may be supporting as many as 1,000 whānau.
The pressure has also shortened appointment times.
Nurses say they are increasingly expected to complete six to seven home visits each day, or as many as 10 clinic appointments, reducing the time available to identify developmental concerns, provide breastfeeding support, assess family wellbeing and respond to emerging health issues.
Health professionals warn that compressed appointment schedules increase the risk of vulnerable children or families requiring additional support being overlooked.
Programmes Already Lost
Financial pressures have already resulted in changes to services.
Plunket previously disestablished its long-running Parenting Education Programme (PEPE) as part of efforts to manage ongoing budget deficits.
Workforce shortages are also affecting the number of Well Child checks being completed.
Recent estimates suggest approximately 140 fewer infant health and development assessments are taking place every day across Aotearoa because there are not enough nurses available to meet demand.
Those checks play an important role in monitoring child development, identifying health concerns early and connecting whānau with additional support services where required.
Impact on Māori Whānau
For Māori communities, reduced access to early childhood health services has particular significance.
Well Child/Tamariki Ora services often provide one of the earliest points of contact between health providers and young whānau, supporting immunisations, nutrition, breastfeeding, safe sleep education and developmental monitoring.
Māori health advocates have consistently argued that investment in early years services is critical to improving long-term health outcomes and reducing inequities experienced by tamariki Māori throughout their lives.
Ensuring culturally responsive services remain accessible within communities is widely regarded as an important part of achieving health equity.
Campaign for Change
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation has launched a public campaign urging the Coalition Government to honour its earlier commitment to properly fund Plunket.
As part of that campaign, NZNO has issued an open letter to New Zealand First leader Winston Peters calling for additional investment to address staffing shortages and improve nurse pay.
Meanwhile, Whānau Āwhina Plunket continues negotiating funding arrangements with Health New Zealand while seeking additional income through corporate partnerships, philanthropic support and initiatives such as NZTA road safety programmes to sustain services outside its core government contracts.
For frontline nurses, however, the message is clear: sustained investment in community nursing is essential if Plunket is to continue providing the early intervention and preventative care that has supported generations of New Zealand families.
With demand continuing to grow and workforce pressures showing little sign of easing, advocates say decisions made now will shape the health and wellbeing of tamariki and whānau for years to come.
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