Friday 28 May 2004
“Difficulties Of Recruiting New Zealand Trained Senior Doctors Widespread”
“The difficulties faced by the Whanganui District Health Board in recruiting New Zealand trained senior doctors is
widespread throughout New Zealand,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical
Specialists, today. Mr Powell was responding to the serious concern of the Whanganui DHB that the last New Zealand
trained senior doctor it had been able to recruit was in 1993.
“All district health boards struggle to recruit New Zealand trained senior doctors and some fail completely. While
overseas trained doctors help fill the gap and add value to our health system, it is financially inefficient that those
doctors that we train so well lack the incentives to remain in New Zealand.”
“Until New Zealand has terms and conditions of employment which are attractive for our trained doctors to stay in or
return to their homeland, this serious problem will continue. This highlights the importance of resolving our national
collective agreement negotiations that have been going on for over a year now. Employment conditions should be
sufficiently attractive to recruit both New Zealand and overseas trained senior doctors”
“Our trained doctors are one of New Zealand’s biggest export industries but unlike most exports, New Zealand loses
badly rather than gains,” concluded Mr Powell.
ENDS