A three-year-boy died of septic shock in a West Coast hospital after critical opportunities to save his life were missed by an on-call doctor and a nurse who shouldn't have been in sole charge of the children's ward that night.

The government has paid $6 million in compensation to Samoa, to mark one year since the grounding and sinking of HMNZS Manawanui.

A mother says she is in severe hardship as an increasing number of parents raise concerns about the system.

Health New Zealand is proposing to cut staff working on alcohol harm by a third and end its alcohol research and social marketing campaigns, the public service union says.