‘It’s not just about the money’, says NZMA
“The NZMA welcomes the well researched ASMS report on the Public Hospital Specialist Workforce,” says New Zealand
Medical Association Chair, Dr Ockelford. “It highlights the challenges new Zealand has in ensuring a sustainable
specialist workforce – and points to the need for effective workforce strategy and policies to deal with this and many
of the other health workforce issues we face in a rapidly changing environment.
“This year sees the 75th anniversary of our public health system, a system we are rightly proud of. Discussion of the
challenges facing us usually focuses exclusively on the costs of this system, rather than the benefits. It’s time we
started viewing our health system as an asset for the community, and our health workforce is a critical part of this.”
More money is not the whole answer, by a long way. “Supported clinical leadership and the active engagement of
clinicians within the workplace and across the sector can enhance morale and facilitate innovation and collaboration.”
The value of comprehensive clinical leadership and what it can achieve is clearly articulated in this latest report from
the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) and we welcome its findings and recommendations, says Dr
Ockelford.
/ends