New Employment Option Needed to Avoid GP Crisis

MEDIA STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE,
MONDAY 20 MARCH 2006

“New Employment Option Needed to Avoid GP Crisis”

“New Zealand needs to provide a new employment option if it is to help avoid the increasing risk of a general practitioner workforce crisis,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today. Mr Powell was responding to the latest GP workforce survey released by the College of General Practitioners.

“It is clear that the self-employed or small business model is increasingly unattractive to younger doctors who are seeking a better work-life balance and a more family friendly lifestyle. This is compounded by the effects of high student debt.”

“They want to simply be good doctors and serve their patients. They do not want to have to also buy a business practice, let alone have the additional burden of running it.”

“District health boards could start planning to avoid this expected future crisis by offering younger GPs the option of salaried employment. The West Coast DHB has already successfully gone down this path which is also good for improving coordination between primary care and hospital based doctors.”

“The government and DHBs can either continue to be unprepared for the coming crisis or they can plan ahead by providing an opportunity for salaried employment by DHBs,” concluded Mr Powell.

Ian Powell

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ENDS

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