New study shows General Practices at health training capacity
A comprehensive survey in the lower North Island and South Island has revealed that general practices, although crucial
for teaching our future health professionals, are at training capacity.
The major stocktake of general practices by the University of Otago, Wellington (UOW), appears in the New Zealand Medical Journal this week. It was done alongside a comparable survey in the upper North Island by the University of Auckland.
The research, led by Professor Sue Pullon and Dr Samantha Murton of the UOW Department of Primary Care and General
Practice, found that most general practices in the region are already involved in training doctors, nurses and other
health care professionals.
“GPs and practice staff say there is little space at present for increasing numbers of trainees in practices,” says Dr
Samantha Murton.
“In the future, under the current system, they say they would have to reduce the number of undergraduate trainees if
they are going to take on more of those who are in a postgraduate or vocational training position (junior doctors and GP
registrars),” she says.
This comes at a time when there are increasing numbers of students in both medical schools, increasing numbers of
postgraduate and vocational trainees and reducing numbers of GPs to supervise due to the ageing GP workforce.
“High quality primary care is an essential and pivotal part of New Zealand’s health system, and adequate training in
primary care settings, for any health professional, is essential to support the present and future health of all New
Zealanders.
With patients’ consent and support, practice teachers provide essential clinical workplace experience under appropriate
guidance and supervision. Most of this training is for medical trainees, although it also includes training of nurses
and other health professional students, the authors say.
“To resolve the training capacity issue, three key things are needed – robust and equitable co-ordination between all
agencies involved in placing trainees, more training and support for teaching staff at practices, and for smaller
practices, help to build additional consultation rooms. To achieve that we need a coordinated effort across the training
system,” says Professor Pullon.
“The survey results suggest that there also needs to be support for teaching in different ways, which will help to make
more room for quality teaching in general practice,” says Dr Murton.
ENDS