Concern About Temporary Fix for Specialist Doctor Crisis

Media Statement For Immediate Release,
sunday 11 September 2011
“Concern About Temporary Fix for Specialist Doctor Crisis”

The union representing senior doctors and dentists employed by DHBs around the country says New Zealand ’s high dependence on overseas specialists to try to plug the workforce crisis is making health services vulnerable.

The union, ASMS, and the DHBs last year agreed on a blueprint to address the workforce issue, but it says there has not been much action. [The blueprint, Securing a Sustain ab le Senior Medical and Dental Workforce in New Zealand: the Business Case, can be downloaded from www.asms.org.nz]. “We are very disappointed in fact that the DHB’s seem to be backtracking in what is a very serious issue.”

ASMS has just released the second of its “alerts” about the workforce issue to its membership which highlights concerns over New Zealand ’s reliance on specialists from overseas. “Our first “alert” released a fortnight ago on the extent of the specialist workforce crisis in public hospitals led to a vitrolic attack from health bosses seemingly attempting to bully and intimidate us from further publications.”

Executive Director Ian Powell says this excessive dependence on overseas specialists is just a temporary fix. There is increasing competition internationally to attract specialists and any change in migration could have a dramatic effect on services.

He says international data shows we have the highest dependency on international medical graduates in the OECD with four in ten doctors trained overseas.

“And this is a growing trend. Over the past three years, overseas trained doctors have made up about half of new specialist registrations.”

Ian Powell says the retention rates of international medical graduates are poorer than those of New Zealand-trained specialists which puts pressure on the system.

“It is concerning that the high turnover of specialists, which is even greater amongst junior doctors is resulting in more senior and junior medical posts being filled by locums on short-term contracts.”

“This impacts hugely on the capacity to develop strong clinical leadership and the ability to bring cohesiveness to services generally,” says Ian Powell.

He says it is widely recognised that a growing and ageing populations will require a significantly larger specialist workforce to serve it.

New Zealand ’s over 65s are expected to make up 17% of the population by 2021. Eight OECD countries have already reach that proportion and five of those countries now have a specialist workforce of 2.1 specialists for 1000 people – more than twice the six of New Zealand’s current ratio.

“We need to take action now. We have an agreed pathway but there is a lack of momentum and we are still in crisis,” concluded Mr Powell.

Ian Powell
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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