Health New Zealand's boss says his plan is to strengthen the clinical frontline - and it won't be cut or reduced.

Commissioner Lester Levy has emailed staff to address a presentation yesterday, that suggested significant frontline cuts.

He told them that directly conflicts with his thinking, and should be dismissed.

Auckland University Emeritus Professor Des Gorman says it implies a disconnect between the Commissioner and senior officials.

"And I think we're seeing that across all the health portfolios, that the various health ministers are struggling against officials' headwinds. And I think they're all finding it much harder to introduce changes than they thought they would."

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