Public Safety Concerns Grow As Doctors Silenced Over Health System Failings

3 July 2025

Doctors across New
Zealand say they are being silenced from speaking out about
potentially dangerous conditions in the public health
system—fearing employment consequences, professional
isolation, and even job loss. Some have chosen early
retirement rather than continue working under what they
describe as a “climate of fear,” raising serious
concerns about public safety.

Dr Renee
Liang, a respected medical specialist and writer, surveyed
colleagues across the health sector for an article published
by North & South. She received dozens of
anonymous responses, revealing a consistent and alarming
theme: doctors do not feel safe to speak publicly—even
when patient wellbeing is at
risk.

“Feeling safe is a rare feeling
among most of my colleagues right now,” says Dr Liang.
“There’s a real fear that just speaking out will draw a
target on your back.”

Under current contractual
obligations, senior doctors are required to report safety
issues—but many say that doing so can result in formal
complaints, retaliation, or even termination.

One
anonymous doctor described the pressure
vividly:

“I’ve never seen anything like the
current environment. The public should be demanding
transparency—monthly updates from every hospital
department about staff losses, waiting times,
under-resourcing. It’s so much worse than people
imagine.”

Dr Liang asked her colleagues two simple
questions:

1. Would you feel comfortable speaking to
   the media about important health issues in your area of
   expertise? If not, why not?
2. Do you believe
   clinicians are being explicitly or implicitly discouraged
   from making public comment?

The responses came
in within hours—from junior doctors to senior clinicians
and health leaders. The overwhelming consensus: it
is unsafe to speak out—whether in public
hospitals or even in primary care.

“HR processes are
being weaponised to silence otherwise powerful
professionals,” says Dr Liang. “This isn’t just about
protecting reputations—it’s costing
lives.”

Further inflaming the issue, Deputy Prime
Minister David Seymour recently referred to health
professionals as “muppets,” a comment that many in the
sector found demeaning and dangerous. Seymour also mocked Dr
George Laking, a prominent medical oncologist, via a social
media meme after Laking expressed concern over proposed
legislative changes to health regulation.

“When
politicians attack experts, it sends a chilling message
across the system,” says Dr Liang. “Instead of
addressing the issues, they’re using public platforms to
intimidate and deflect.”

Doctors also report deep
concern over job insecurity—particularly for those on
temporary contracts, locum placements, or in training roles.
One respondent said:

“Even contacting my MP feels
risky. You wonder how deep the influence goes. With no job
security, speaking out could blacklist you from future
roles.”

The impact on the health system is already
being felt, says Dr Liang:

“At least three
colleagues I know personally have taken early retirement
because they couldn’t raise safety concerns without fear
of reprisal. Others are leaving quietly, wracked with
guilt.”

Haematologist Dr Ruth Spearing CNZM
added:

“Speaking out is so important. I’d
be lying if I said I didn’t feel fear—but it was worth
it.”

Dr Liang concludes:

“The public
deserves transparency. Instead, clinicians are being
silenced by a system more focused on managing optics than
fixing structural issues. And when that happens—patients
suffer.

“Clinical decision making requires good
communication; we need to be able to talk openly about
systems issues if we’re to reduce clinical errors. How can
we advocate for the things our health system needs to be
urgently better at if we can’t even call out what is
happening? How can we continue to practice ethically and
fairly?”

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