Auckland sisters lose bid to halt bullying probe; one partially reinstated

A New Zealand employment authority has rejected attempts by two sister doctors to halt a Health New Zealand bullying investigation, allowing the probe to proceed while granting one sister partial reinstatement to hospital meetings. The investigation follows an April 2026 complaint by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists on behalf of seven senior medical officers, alleging the doctors' conduct was threatening, intimidating, and created an unhealthy work environment. Both sisters deny the allegations and were removed from aspects of their work during the investigation. Authority member Simon Greening declined both doctors' applications for a permanent injunction against the investigation, ruling that orders restraining employers from investigating conduct concerns would be rare. He granted Bodhi Wimalasena reinstatement to grand rounds and hospital-wide events but declined Samadhi Wimalasena's application to return to the emergency department, citing potential communication breakdowns with complainants. A substantive hearing is scheduled for December.