NZRGPN slams Air NZ decision to cut provincial routes

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY NZRGPN FOR IMMEDIATE USE, 12 November 2014

NZRGPN slams Air NZ decision to cut provincial routes

The country’s foremost national advocate for rural general practice has joined the chorus of condemnation on Air NZ’s decision to cut some provincial air routes from its repertoire.

New Zealand Rural General Practice Network chairman Dr Jo Scott-Jones says the decision will have serious implications for a range of travel arrangements for health professionals travelling to and from some provincial centres such as Whakatane, Kaitaia and Westport to centres such as Wellington and Auckland for sector-related meetings, conferences and seminars.

For example, there will be implications for Continuing Medical and Continuing Nursing Education opportunities for rural health professionals and will make it more difficult for Network Board members and rural health sector leaders from provincial areas who are often required to meet with Ministers and health officials in Wellington.

The service cuts are also another blow to the “liveability” of rural and regional New Zealand, which is a critical factor for the retention and recruitment of health professionals in rural communities.

Recruitment and retention of health professionals is a long-standing and ongoing challenge for the Network and the sector. “Cuts like this do not help,” says Opotiki-based GP Dr Scott-Jones.

The Network through its NZLocums recruitment division places locums in areas such as the South Island’s West Coast, Northland and Bay of Plenty. The service cuts will bring additional challenges to delivering on the Government’s locum recruitment contract to certain areas, especially those classified as “hard to fill” in regions like the West Coast, he says.

“While it is understandable that Air NZ must be fiscally responsible, their decision will have a negative impact on these already isolated communities in a number of ways.

“We would like to register our deep disappointment at Air NZ’s decision and urge them to rethink and engage with various groups to review the move.”

South Westland GP and Network Board member Dr Martin London is concerned that rural people in general will have another element of isolation imposed on them.

“Air NZ will have made a tidy profit for their shareholders but the corporation and the shareholders still have a moral duty to support uneconomic services to those parts of New Zealand which provide the tourist and agricultural basis of our economy.

“Simply saying that ‘they chose to live in rural areas,’ ignores the fact that all New Zealanders depend on them for the economy and for services to be available when they choose to leave the cities for their country trips. It is the same as closing banks, bus services and post offices and then being concerned when it is hard to get professionals to work there.

“How would it be if GPs chose to remove those parts of their practices that were relatively uneconomic? Older people with long-term conditions would not last long.”

Network Board member Kamiria (Kim) Gosman agrees the cuts to air services will further alienate and isolate communities from some key services provided by people and agencies from other areas.

“Transport is a huge issue for rural and remote areas and this adds further stressors to people in those communities.”

Rose Lightfoot, Chief Executive of Te Tai Tokerau PHO, which provides oversight and support for 16 rural general practices from mid- to top Northland says the cuts to the Air NZ services further marginalise practitioners in the region and will impact on all health services, for example specialists who fly up from Whangarei for day visits will no longer be able to do so.

“We often bring resources and people up to Kaitaia for Continuing Medical Education and meetings and the alternative is Kerikeri which is an hour and a half away.”

She fears the airport at Kaitaia may eventually close.

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