Government announces new directions for health workforce

 The Minister of Health, David Cunliffe has today announced key new government policies in health workforce planning.

  "Tonight I am announcing a new policy direction towards a more integrated, whole of system approach to workforce planning." said Mr Cunliffe.

 "Workforce investment makes up two thirds of all investment in health so it is critical we get it right."

 "Cabinet has agreed that the Ministry of Health will have the coordinating role on workforce planning across the sector .Workforce planning must  be done  nationally building on the work being  done  by the country's district health boards."

 "The Ministry will also ensure the work of related bodies and agencies like the Medical Training Board, the Clinical Training Agency, the Doctors Workforce Commissions  and the Midwife and Maternity Strategic Advisory Committee are well integrated into a whole system of workforce planning," said Mr Cunliffe.

 "In this way we can take a long term planned approach to meet workforce demand in the future."

 Mr Cunliffe said he was also keen to see immediate action on priority needs where that was possible. "We will look at improving the retention of International medical graduates, increasing the number of funded GP registrar places and post graduate education for midwives."

 "Other priorities include exploring debt relief schemes and regional placements for junior doctors as well as career pathways for care and support workers."

 "The government will also support the processes of the Medical Training Board subject to the Budget process. "

 

 Training board report critical to future

 The Minister of Health David Cunliffe has praised a Medical Training Board report on the future training of doctors saying it will become one of the pillars of health workforce planning in New Zealand.

 " I believe this report  along  with the Senior Doctors and Junior Doctors workforce  commission findings  will be critical in establishing  a path forward to create a national training structure for  doctors ."

 "The key question has to be how many doctors will we need in 25 to 30 years time. We also need to know how our medical sector will change in the future and what roles will doctors play and how they will be trained and supported."

 "As I have already made it clear in my discussions over the junior doctors workforce commission, we have to make sure that they have the opportunities to grow and develop professionally."

 "I note that the Medical Training Board  is concerned ,as the government is , at the Health Industry's reliance on locums , the shortage of  GPs in rural areas and the under representation of Maori and Pacific  people in the medical  profession ,"said Mr Cunliffe.

 The Minister of Health said the report addressed all these issues by looking at the future of the workforce, the curriculum framework in our country's medical schools and integrated and coordinated medical training.

 "The Government has already made far reaching changes to how work force planning will be managed and I will be speaking on this in Auckland this evening".

 "I also note the Training Board's proposal that our medical schools create another 100 places for young doctors over the next four years and I will be consulting with my cabinet colleagues as appropriate. But as this report says this can only be one answer to planning our workforce," said Mr Cunliffe.

 The Medical Training Boards report is now open to consultation and the Board is expected to report back to the government by April next year said Mr Cunliffe.

 "The various strands of workforce planning will combine with the new workforce leadership role of the Ministry of Health, the workforce commissions and the 2009 budget round .In the New Year we will have a robust, flexible, integrated system to meet the future."