Health Minister Andrew Little says he was made aware of staffing issues at Hillmorton Hospital's secure mental health facility last year.
It comes after a patient who was being treated at the Christchurch facility allegedly murdered a woman in a random stabbing while on "community leave" on the weekend.
Laisa Maraia Waka was fatally stabbed in the street while she was on her way home from work in the suburb of Sockburn.
The man accused of her murder appeared briefly via audio-visual link in the Christchurch District Court on Monday. He was remanded in custody after the Judge called for a report into his mental health and whether he was fit to stand trial. It's understood he was a patient at Hillmorton's mental health facility.
It comes after officials were warned in January the psychiatric facility was facing severe staffing shortages. In a briefing on January 20, officials at the Ministry of Health told Andrew Little the shortages were so bad the facility was only operating 12 of its 15 beds and "running a waitlist for acutely unwell patients", according to NZ Herald.
Speaking with AM on Thursday, Little said he was made aware of staffing issues last year and "took the matter up with the Ministry of Health and Director General of Health".
"I was aware that forensic mental health services and a number of places in the country were under pressure. I had that brought to my attention at the end of last year which I raised directly with the Director-General of Health."
When asked by AM host Ryan Bridge whether the shortages were fixed, Little said it was an issue for the Director-General of Health and Director of Mental Health.
"It is for the Director-General of Health and the Director of Mental Health to make sure that the forensic mental health services are working within the capacity, particularly when they're dealing with inpatients - people who are there under an order of the court or an order under the Mental Health Act," he said.
When Bridge asked whether he followed up with them to ensure something was actually being done, Little said he "took the matter up" at the end of last year.
"I just explained to you that when I became aware of them at the end of last year, I took the matter up with the Ministry of Health and Director-General of Health."
Bridge again questioned whether he had actually done anything to fix the issue but Little said he had already answered that.
"I've told you what I have done, and I've explained to you what the statutory obligations are on the Director-General of Health and the Director of Mental Health.
"There's nothing that has suggested to me since, that they are not meeting those statutory obligations."
Little also offered assurance that as far as he knows no patients have been released from Hillmorton's secure mental health facility due to a shortage of staff or beds. He said the decision to release a patient is a clinical one.
The Canterbury District Health Board has launched a full review in response to the stabbing.
