Health New Zealand says its deficit for the past financial year is likely near-a-billion-dollars

The organisation's released its report for the quarter ending June.

Earlier, in quarter three, a 299- million-dollar surplus was forecast - but the preliminary financial result for the year to the end of June is a 934-million-dollar deficit.

It says it's due to one-off impacts - and a deterioration in underlying financial performance.

Those one-off impacts include Covid-19 stock being written off or consumed; and costs related to paying staff for Holidays Act remediation.

Others included reductions in Hauora Maori funding.