Air NZ Cuts May Make Rural Health Workforce Hard to Recruit

19 November 2014

Air NZ Cuts May Make Health Workforce Harder to Recruit in Rural Areas

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) endorses the concerns expressed by rural doctors about the impact of Air New Zealand cuts to regional services.

The Chair of the New Zealand Rural General Practice Network, Dr Jo Scott-Jones, says Air New Zealand’s decision to suspend some routes and reduce services to others will make it harder to recruit and retain doctors in the more isolated parts of the country. The ability of rural doctors to attend health-related meetings and conferences will also be affected. His comments are reported in more detail at www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/63313338/Air-NZ-route-cuts-hit-rural-doctors.

ASMS Executive Director Ian Powell says that’s an unforeseen consequence of Air New Zealand’s business decision.

“Regions already struggle to fill specialist vacancies, and the last thing communities need is another barrier put in the way of accessing health care, which is likely if some areas become less attractive places to work and live,” he says.

“They also depend on visits from specialists from larger centres. This will either mean less specialist visits to the affected areas or increased costs for financially struggling public hospitals forced to consider more expensive alternatives such as charter flights.”

“The health need is often greatest in those rural areas and we support the concerns being expressed by rural doctors about the potential impact on communities.”

ENDS

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