The Health Minister continues to deny a health crisis in New Zealand despite 93.5 per cent of doctors saying there is one, National’s Health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti says.

“No one believes Andrew Little when he says he has responded to the health workforce shortage. He could start by acknowledging it is a crisis, and then he needs to explain why he is deliberately stopping international nurses from getting immediate residency.

“A survey, conducted by the New Zealand Women in Medicine Charitable Trust, collated the responses of more than 900 doctors working across 30 different areas of medicine.

“Authors of the survey said ‘the results indicate that we are at risk of a catastrophic collapse of the healthcare workforce’ in a letter to the Prime Minister, health and associate health ministers and leaders of Te Whatu Ora Health NZ.

“Respondents describe a health sector that is so bereft of nursing support that triage nurses are resigning because they are afraid that someone will die in the waiting room.

“The Health Minister’s refusal to acknowledge the crisis that the health workforce is screaming about shows how out of touch he is with what is going on. Instead of addressing the critical issues right now, the Minster’s focus has been on rearranging the health system in the middle of a pandemic.

“There is still no immediate residency for international nurses coming to New Zealand, and there is no pathway into the healthcare sector for many doctors have nurses that have passed their exams and are instead driving for Uber Eats.

“Additionally, a recent Written Parliamentary Question reveals the Minister is stopping new homegrown doctors with his confirmation of no new medical school places in the recent budget, despite spending on 1,000 new business consultants to prop up the health restructure.

“New Zealanders deserve better. This Government doesn’t know what it’s doing when it comes to health, and now it refuses to acknowledge its failings.”

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