Medical Workforce

HWNZ is committed to finding ways to recruit, retain and support our medical workforce, ensuring that our doctors can build excellent and rewarding careers. We are working closely with professional and representative bodies and employers to ensure we have the medical workforce we need and that doctors have the careers they deserve.

The RMO and SMO Commissions which reported in 2009 confirmed that the overall training experience has not been good for many of our junior doctors in recent years, and we have also been losing some of our talented clinicians overseas.

A number of new initiatives have been developed which are designed to recruit and retain doctors at all levels and across all regions and specialities.

Executive chairman of HWNZ Professor Des Gorman has written directly to all GPs and hospital doctors about the initiatives underway and invited them to contribute further ideas for schemes that will support the profession.

Tell us what you think at planning@healthworkforce.govt.nz

Voluntary bonding scheme

The voluntary bonding scheme offers an incentive payment to reward graduates who agree to work in hard to staff areas. It is now in its second year and has proved very successful. Read more

Medical careers guidance

HWNZ has developed a medical careers guidance service which offers junior doctors and medical students the opportunity to have individualised careers advice from a panel of senior colleagues, in addition to the information and careers support offered by colleges, employers and education. Read more

GP training review

HWNZ has launched a joint venture with the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners and Medical Council of New Zealand to reform the training of GPs . We aim to make general practice a more attractive career choice with greater options and flexibility. Read more

Clinical leadership

HWNZ hosted a national forum on the development of clinical leadership in June 2010 with representatives from across the health sector. As a result a new institute of health leadership is being developed which will be in place by the end of the year. Read more

Innovations

HWNZ is supporting a range of projects aimed at developing extended or new roles or scopes of practice and ensuring we make best use of all members of the health workforce. Read more