Health New Zealand has written to health unions outlining guidance it has given to hospitals, including banning double shifts, closing some vacant roles and forcing staff to use leave. Te Whatu Ora said it was clamping down because it could not go into the new financial year operating in deficit as it currently was. Its guidance for a review of unfilled roles asked managers to 'consider permanent removal of these as part of the budget processes", but chief executive Margie Apa said that was not a hiring freeze