Last week a number of District Health Boards sent letters to doctors and agencies setting out changes they are proposing to the way they work with locum doctors. This announcement has been made with limited prior consultation with stakeholders and as such, will be of concern to many doctors, as well as to the patients you serve.
Like you, I am concerned at the impact the proposed changes may have on the desirability of locum work within New Zealand, and therefore the ability of hospitals to staff hospitals. This could have significant impact on patient outcomes and safety and exposes our health system to further risk.
Given the shortage of RMO’s in Australasia it is important that New Zealand remains competitive in the trans-Tasman marketplace and the proposed changes take us further away from this goal.
The team at MedRecruit believe that a balance of permanent and locum staff will continue to best serve our health care system by providing flexible staffing and better outcomes for patients. In a tight labour market, the terms and conditions offered to doctors need to reflect the unique constraints in various regions of New Zealand.
MedRecruit expects to consult with individual DHBs over the coming weeks on this important matter, and we will work hard to keep you informed through our usual communication channels.
We are committed to ensuring New Zealand has a uniform health system that delivers the best outcome for patients no matter where they reside, while helping doctors to realise the unique lifestyle and career opportunities offered throughout New Zealand and Australia, including many of the smaller provincial centres.
We will keep you updated as things develop; at MedRecruit we are committed to meeting your needs and 2010 is still looking bright for doctors seeking opportunities to transform their lifestyle, finances, and career.
If you have any questions or concerns about the proposed changes or if you’d just like to have a chat, you can call me or any of the friendly team at MedRecruit on 0800 MEDRECRUIT - we’d love to hear from you.
Committed to your success,
Dr Sam Hazledine
Managing Director
MedRecruit