The public hospital bureaucracy has continued its growth and will top 10,000 next year, National says.
Government figures sought by party health spokesman Tony Ryall show there were 9804 managers and administrators - fulltime equivalents - in the June year, at a cost of more than $544 million.
That is a rise of nearly a quarter in the number of bureaucrats since 1999, when Labour came to power.
But the number has fallen from its peak year under Labour, 2004/05, when there were 9826, at a cost of $492.1 million. The number dipped to 9596 in 2005/06.
Mr Ryall said the figures, even without the extra 1250 at the Ministry of Health, showed the Government had lost control of the health bureaucracy, which under Labour had become "fatter and fatter".
"The health bureaucracy is growing out of control, while far too many patients are forced to wait and wait for operations and specialists' appointments."
He conceded there had been bigger percentage increases in the number of doctors and nurses under Labour, but said the rise in bureaucrats had contributed to declining productivity in health, despite massive funding rises.
Health Minister David Cunliffe said last night that while National was repeating the "same old line" about increasing bureaucracy, the Government was delivering affordable, accessible health care.
He produced figures showing that more than 112,000 patients had elective surgery in the last financial year, marking a 7000 increase on the preceding year and reversing a declining trend since 2004.
Mr Cunliffe's predecessor, Pete Hodgson, told the House in June that hospital doctor numbers had increased by 1400 since 2001.
Mr Hodgson said last year that overall, the proportion of health sector staff who were managers and administrators was falling.
While their number had grown by 1794 since 1999, there were 5225 more doctors and nurses.
