The Medical Council says a move to fast-track overseas doctor registrations will get qualified doctors into communities that need them faster. Photo: 123RF
The Medical Council is making it simpler for overseas doctors to register and work in New Zealand.
Registration for GPs from the US, Canada and Singapore would be fast-tracked, with applications processed within two months.
Chair Dr Rachelle Love said the move would get qualified doctors into communities that needed them, faster.
"At a time when the health system is under strain, these changes reflect our commitment to practical solutions that support safe care and timely access for patients."
Meanwhile, doctors with recent experience in Chile, Luxembourg and Croatia would now be eligible to apply for provisional registration.
Love said this recognised their experience in a health system comparable to New Zealand's and brought the council's list of comparable countries to 29 - joining recent additions Japan and South Korea.
Applications through the comparable health system pathway would be processed within 20 working days.
Overseas specialists from the UK, Ireland and Australia could also expect faster assessments to work in Aotearoa in approved areas of medicine - including anaesthesia, dermatology, emergency medicine, general practice, internal medicine pathology and psychiatry. These applications would also be processed within 20 working days.
Health Minister Simeon Brown welcomed the changes, saying they would help strengthen New Zealand's frontline workforce.
Health Minister Simeon Brown. Photo: Nathan Mckinnon / RNZ
"New Zealand is in an international contest to train, attract, and retain skilled medical professionals. The addition of Chile, Luxembourg, and Croatia to the list of Comparable Health Systems will make it easier for qualified doctors from these countries to live and work in New Zealand," he said.
"New Zealand has long benefited from the skills and expertise of international medical professionals. They play a vital role in supporting our domestically trained workforce and ensuring patients can access timely, quality healthcare."
The changes built on other initiatives the government had in place to boost the health workforce, Brown said.
"Earlier this year I announced a two-year training programme to support up to 100 additional overseas-trained doctors into New Zealand's primary care workforce.
"Over 180 expressions of interest were received for this programme, exceeding the number of places available. This strong response shows that there is untapped potential in New Zealand. Overseas trained doctors are eager to work where they are most needed, and this government is opening the door for them to do so.
"Through our record $16.68 billion investment across three Budgets, we are making sure our health system is properly resourced to meet the growing demands placed on it. That funding is already delivering results, with record funding for general practice to increase capacity, upgraded urgent care services across the country, and a new 24/7 digital health service. This is how we are putting patients first."
Support needed to retain doctors - association
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton said while the change is great, she is not sure the Medical Council alone can solve the doctor shortage.
"I feel like the people that really need to step and play their part in attracting overseas trained doctors are Health NZ and the government, who is refusing to fund the SMO [Senior Medical Officer] workforce," Dalton told Morning Report.
She also said better support needs to be in place to retain international doctors.
According to the Medical Council, 71 percent of overseas-trained doctors leave the country within in five years.
"We're obviously not doing a great job at holding the doctors here when they arrive," Dalton said.
"My analysis of that would be the not particularly great terms and conditions that are offered to both GPs and hospital doctors, and again, particularly compared with Australia."
She said doctors who wanted to work in the southern hemisphere can go in work in Australia for more money and "less gruelling" working conditions.
Dalton said there was also a need for more locally trained doctors.
New Zealand's medical workforce is made up of 43.3 percent of overseas-trained workers, one of the highest proportions in the developed world, Medical Council figures show.
While the number of medical students who can train to be doctors has been slowly increasing, College of General Practitioners president Samantha Murton said it wasn't keeping up with growing demand.
Murton told Morning Report with an ageing population, the level of care has dramatically increased, alongside the expectations of care changing over time.
"It's a perfect storm of increasing volume requirement in every arena," Murton said.
She said there needed to be an increase in the number of doctors being trained in New Zealand, alongside attracting internationally trained doctors.
One of the ways we could increase New Zealand-trained doctors was implementing a graduate degree, Murton said. Many overseas universities offer accelerated or graduate entry programs for those with prior degrees in related fields, while in New Zealand students with degrees still have to do the full programme.
"Having a graduate course would be really essential," Murton said. "If we did that, then we could have volumes quite quickly [and] quite easily."
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