1,400 signed up to Voluntary Bonding scheme

The Government's voluntary bonding scheme for graduate doctors, nurses and midwives has been over subscribed for the second year in a row with a total of around 1,400 graduates now accepted into the scheme, says Health Minister Tony Ryall.

"This year we have accepted 501 graduates - 64 doctors, 45 midwives and 392 nursing graduates - onto the scheme which aims to keep our home grown health graduates living and working in New Zealand."

"We budgeted for 350 grads but got 501 applications. We've accepted them all. This is on top of last year's inaugural intake of around 900 young health professionals."

The voluntary bonding scheme encourages graduate doctors, nurses and midwives to establish careers in communities and medical specialties that need them most by offering them student loan write offs, or cash incentives for those without student loans, if they work in these areas for three to five years.

The scheme is designed to be flexible and responsive to changing sector needs

This year South Canterbury and Taranaki District Health Boards were added to the list of hard to staff regions, and surgical nursing was added to the list of hard to staff specialties which qualify for the scheme.

The full list of hard-to-staff categories and the terms and conditions of the Scheme are available on the bonding website www.moh.govt.nz/bonding

ENDS

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