Loss of Specialist Workforce in Public Hospitals

ATTENTION: HEALTH REPORTER

MEDIA STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE,
SUNDAY 20 JUNE 2010

“Loss of Specialist Workforce in Public Hospitals is Unsustainable”

“The loss of public hospital specialists to Australia is unsustainable,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

“Our investigations have revealed that around half of the senior registrars in their last year of specialist training go overseas, mainly Australia, to take up their first specialist appointment. These are the doctors that taxpayers make a significant financial investment in to be New Zealand’s future specialist workforce. Losing so many of them overseas is financial irresponsibility.”

“This is on top of the steady regular loss of specialists from public hospitals to Australia for significantly higher remuneration. Further, among the developed countries of the world, New Zealand is the most dependent on recruiting overseas trained specialists. But we can’t compete against Australia which also has severe specialist shortages in its public hospitals.”

“This situation is unsustainable and, if allowed to continue, risks to the standard of patient care will increase. If patients are to have timely access to safe and high quality health services they need a stable senior doctor workforce in public hospitals.”

“Improving employment conditions and salaries for hospital specialists are not the total solution to this crisis but there will not be a solution without this happening,” concluded Mr Powell.

Ian Powell

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ENDS

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