RNZ first reported on years-long ructions at the unit that treats abused children, Te Puaruruhau, in October. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Health New Zealand spent almost a quarter of a million dollars on a lawyer to look into claims of bullying at Auckland's Starship Hospital and how to fix it.
That is revealed in an Official Information Act (OIA) response after RNZ first reported on years-long ructions at the unit that treats abused children, Te Puaruruhau, in October.
Maria Dew KC was paid $249,000 to investigate and also do a culture review after staff boycotted unit managers in early 2025, the OIA showed.
The firm Three60 Consult was paid $25,000 to do another review.
Health NZ Te Whatu Ora refused to release any of these reviews.
"These reports contain extensive information provided by staff in confidence," it said. "Releasing them would breach the trust and privacy of those individuals and could jeopardise the ongoing process to address the concerns raised."
Just over $9000 was spent on Shelley Kopu Law.
A former staffer at the small unit had said the ructions caused skilled people to leave, including themselves, reducing the essential services children could get.
Health NZ provided more information on staffing at Te Puaruruhau in an OIA response: Since December 2022, three paediatricians - two permanent, one fixed-term - had joined but all had since left.
Paediatrician roles advertised in mid-June this year were not filled, then readvertised in September, but remained open as of late last month.
Since August 2022, it had recruited three social workers, a medical fellow (usually one-year terms), a nurse specialist, a team administrator and a medical registrar.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
