Nursing Futures Taskforce Meeting Notes 6 December 2025

The Nursing Futures Taskforce brings together a range of nurse leaders to ensure sharing of critical information particularly from those who do not have freedom to speak.  The cross section of leadership positions ensures that any planned actions or responses can be well-informed and well-targeted.  As such the Taskforce is a point of cohesive contact within the nursing profession for diverse stakeholders and an opportunity for synthesis of nursing leadership direction. The taskforce provides grounded intelligence to those members who have freedom of speech and action.

Date	6 December 2025
Attended	Jenny Carryer [chair], Jill Wilkinson, Catherine Cook, Sue Adams, Wendy Blair, Sandy Bayliss, Jocelyn Peach, Josephine Davis, Helen Snell, Kate Weston
Apologies	Maree Sheard, Sandra McDonald
NA	Nicolette Sheridan, Jill Clendon, Sue Gasquoine, Sandy Baylis, Kiri Hunter, To’a Fereti, Helen Hamer, Chelsea Willmott, Andrew Jull,

1. Face to Face meeting 2026

Date/Time: Monday 2 February 2026. Start 10-4pm

Venue: Te Puna Hauora | School of Health, Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington Regional Hospital, Riddiford St, Newtown

Purpose of meeting: stocktake on issues and plan for 2026 in terms of priorities, influence, strategy – what most useful.

Invite some people to join the group if interested.

Suggestion to make contact with other health professional/discipline groups e.g. allied health, medical, other to understand their impression of current decisions/omissions, how decisions are made of membership of key decision groups.

Action: Jill and Jocelyn to discuss with meeting and catering. Jenny, Kate and Jos to seek out links

2.1   Primary Health Care Group – Despite contact with PHCG chair - no progress to make changes to membership.

• https://www.health.govt.nz/about-us/new-zealands-health-system/health-system-roles-and-organisations/health-committees-and-boards/primary-care-advisory-group

Members: Penny Clark, Dr Jo Scott-Jones, Dr Steven Young, Dr Kate Baddock, Dr Stephanie Taylor, Darryl Jhinku

Nursing names has not been successful. On this instance – we will not proactively offer names unless asked.

Action: Watch. Develop group of names to put forward if option allows

2.2 Health Workforce Advisory Group

• https://www.health.govt.nz/about-us/new-zealands-health-system/health-system-roles-and-organisations/health-committees-and-boards/health-workforce-committee

Again, no nursing, midwifery or allied health representation. Members: Dr David Gow (Chair), Dr Jeremy Dryden, Dr Gary Hopgood, Dr Ruth Large, Dr Allan Moffit

2.3 Public Health Advisor Committee

• https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/appointments-public-health-advisory-committee

Again, no nursing. Members: Dr Caroline McElnay [Chair], Professor Peter Crampton, Professor Paula Lorgelly, Associate Professor Kaaren Mathias, and Professor Matire Harwood.

3. Nursing Voice

Jenny and Andrew have prepared an 800-word statement. Andrew working with UoA contacts. His message: “An OpEd Jenny and I wrote last week on the silencing of nurses has been picked up by Newsroom. Some minor editing from the original, but overall good. We had no control over the headline”.

4. Flow of Information

Agree the value of this voluntary group is hearing about what is happening. We all have different links. Members encouraged to keep issues flowing through so that we can respond int a timely manner. Nothing new flowing from NCNZ or HNZ at this point.

People do not know who the ‘ginger’ group is and what our focus is e.g. intelligence, nursing contribution. Address on 2/02/26.  Kate will talk with Cathy on NNLG at next meeting.

NFT focuses on transparency in terms of open and purpose, commentary, countering rhetoric. Health Select Committee was worth watching.

• https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/watch-select-committee-live-streams/

• https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/health/

• https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/corporate-information/news-and-updates

• https://www.nursingcouncil.org.nz/

5. Next meetings

Fortnight meetings will start from February 2026. If anything, urgent comes up, we will communicate together and initiate discussion if needed.

Break from now until f2f on 2 February.

If anything important comes to member attention, please contact Sue and Jocelyn – between us we will communicate with the group. Catherine suggested a monthly information sheet.

Jocelyn offered to collate this as part of the newsletter that she prepares monthly for her website which covers local, national, international issues. https://www.nursingchampionz.nz/news

Action: Check newsletter at the end of each month