MOH announcements on Healthcare Workforce Plan

In a media update on Monday 1 August Health Minister Andrew Little announced new plans to address the healthcare workforce concerns and shortages, with particular focus on healthcare workers entering New Zealand and the registration process. Included in the announcement:

• Te Whatu Ora is launching a new in-house recruitment service for international healthcare professionals as part of a coordinated international and national healthcare recruitment campaign.
• Te Whatu Ora are scoping a six-month bridging programme for internationally qualified doctors from non-comparable health systems to enter the workforce, with a funded six-week clinical induction and three-month training internship.
• Overseas doctors will also be able to do internships in GP clinics as well as hospitals
• Te Whatu Ora and Te Aka Whai Ora with the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners will review the GP training programme to incentivise registrars, increase representation of Māori and Pacific registrars into GP training and boost GP training numbers from 200 to 300 a year.
• Dedicated immigration support services to make it easier for health workers to move to New Zealand
• To expand the kaiāwhina service; non-regulated roles in the health and disability sector such as healthcare assistants, kaimahi (Māori health workers) or mental health support workers to support health professionals as was used during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Adding 15 training extra slots in three years for radiology registrars
• Up to $10,000 each in support towards international nurses’ registration costs
• Providing support towards re-registration costs for NZ Nurses who wish to return to work
• Doubling the number of nurse practitioners trained each year from about 50 to 100 by 2024

Read more on the Te Whatu Ora website.

Visit Te Whatu Ora and Te Aka Whai Ora for the latest information on the Health reforms