Pictured left to right: Two of Whakatāne
Hospital’s current first year doctors (House
Officers) Michael Duff and William Utley.
Whakatāne Hospital has been rated New
Zealand's most preferred hospital for first
year doctors.
Each year the New Zealand Resident Doctors' Association
(NZRDA) ranks the nation's hospitals in order of where final
year medical students would like to work after qualifying. For the
2019 year Whakatāne Hospital took top spot as most preferred
employer, with twice as many applicants as positions.
Three out of six new doctors who are due to start working with
us next month have previously been on the Rural Health Inter-
professional Programme (RHIP).
This joint student placement initiative between the Bay of Plenty
District Health Board’s Clinical School, the University of Auckland
and Health Workforce New Zealand was established six years ago
to attract and retain health professionals in rural New Zealand.
The NZRDA said Whakatāne Hospital was well known for its
supportiveness of junior doctors from both management and
senior doctors.
"There are a number of different factors which influence a doctor's
decision about where to work, including some unrelated to the
hospital itself, such as where they want to live," said NZRDA
National Secretary Dr Deborah Powell. "Nonetheless, factors such
as employer compliance with employment terms and conditions,
safer rostering practices, appropriate training and supervision - are
hugely significant to our new graduates."
NZNO MECA Additional Funding update
As you would recall an Accord was signed by
the parties 30 July 2018 as an outcome of the
MECA. from the Ministry for immediate additional staffing. To access
this funding we were required to submit a plan to the national
Safe Staffing Governance Group for endorsement. The plan was
developed in partnership with NZNO.
There was a commitment to: The DHB received confirmation last Friday (19 October) - from the
National Safe Staffing Healthy Workplaces Governance Group
- that our plan for additional funding has been approved. This is
great news.
• Explore options for providing employment and training for all
New Zealand nursing and midwifery graduates and report to
the Minister of Health by the end of November 2018.
• To develop any accountability mechanisms that the parties
believe are necessary (over and above those already agreed)
to ensure DHBs implement the additional staffing needs
identified by CCDM within the agreed timeframe (June 2021)
and report to the Minister of Health by the end of February
2019.
•
To develop a strategy for the retention of the existing nursing
and midwifery workforce and the re-employment of those who
have left the workforce, and report to the Minister of Health by
the end of May 2019.
Under the second commitment additional funding is available
4
Recruitment for the additional nursing/midwifery staff positions is
already underway and is progressing well. We were delighted to
receive over 50 applicants to our recent advertisement.
Further updates will be issued in the coming weeks. These will
provide more details about the plan (which has been agreed in
partnership with the NZNO) regarding this
additional staffing across both sites.
Julie Robinson,
Director of Nursing, BOPDHB.