GUEST BLOG: Ian Powell – Time for Health Minister to step up on workforce crisis
Late last year I urged Dr Shane Reti, then the expected incoming health minister, to get ready to run on two issues – the workforce crisis and health system culture – when he assumed the health portfolio.
This message was in my Otaihanga Second Opinion blog (7 November): Starting on the right foot is critical.
It levered off my earlier Stuff column (1 November) on the same theme: Two urgent things for Dr Shane Reti to resolve.
On workforce that I advised that:
…are crippling our health system and harming the health of this workforce. Their severity is worsening by rising acute hospital admissions increasing at a higher rate than population growth.
We need a mindset shift from seeing the workforce as a cost liability to an investment in both the health of the population and economic performance.
What is required is effective workforce planning and development backed up by targeted practical action plans focusing on the here-and-now.
Worsening impact of workforce shortages
Over three months later, the impact of these shortages is worsening. This became clear from figures released by Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) on the increasing number of people waiting more than four months for hospital treatment.
In the quarter ending in December 2023, 68,000 people were waiting more than four months for a specialist appointment, up 8000 on the previous quarter.
This was discussed on Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report (28 March) in an interview with Vanessa Blair representing the Association of General Surgeons: Increasing wait times for hospital specialist treatments .
Vanessa Blair described this increase as being part of a slowly increasing trend. There was a “mass increase in acute demand” (patients whose treatment can’t be deferred) which meant that planned care (such as elective surgery) had to be cancelled or otherwise delayed.
She also raised a timely alarm bell over Te Whatu Ora suggesting that clinical follow-ups might have to be reduced (fudging it as a ‘new model of care’).
These follow-ups are critical in order to assess how patients have progressed since their surgery or other treatment. Dr Blair described this thinking as shifting the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Another consequence of workforce shortages is women being denied critical gynaecological treatment and left to cope in pain.
This was because of the need to prioritise even more urgent cancer patients. It was highlighted the same day by the NZ Herald: Women left in pain.
Health Minister recognises the workforce crisis
In opposition Dr Reti recognised that the workforce crisis was the biggest issue in the health system. There is no reason to believe that he has changed his assessment. This is a good starting point.
He also accepts that this crisis existed before Labour formed its first government in 2017. It is to his credit that he acknowledges that the previous National-led government contributed to this crisis. This is also a good starting point.
Unfortunately through a combination of neglect, elitist arrogance and poor decision-making, Labour allowed the crisis it inherited to worsen.
However, after more than three months in the portfolio Dr Reti has provided no tangible evidence of seeking to address this crisis.
He has announced new health targets. But their success primarily depends on overcoming the workforce crisis. They will not alleviate it.
The minister is also advancing the third medical school at Waikato University for rural general practice.
However, the process is questionable while achieving claimed benefits is unclear. I discussed this in BusinessDesk (26 August): Caution and better process required for third medical school .
Certainly making a difference on the severe medical workforce shortages is years away, if at all. At most the relief will be relatively small and much delayed.
Go practical and go visible, Dr Reti
No silver bullet but still practical steps that should be taken
There is no silver bullet but there are practical visible steps that could be taken. The health system needs recruitment and retention strategies for each of the numerous health professional occupations employed by Te Whatu Ora.
These strategies need to be backed up by action plans developed through engagement with the relevant health unions and professional associations.
Some will involve training more; some will involve retaining more; some such as medical specialists will require competitive remuneration and other conditions in order to compete with Australia in the international market.
In general practice he needs to be expeditiously and visibly working towards practical changes to the capitation funding system in order to begin to turn around the general practitioner workforce crisis.
I discussed this in my last Otaihanga Second Opinion post (24 March): Don’t decapitate capitation.
And while he’s at it, don’t forget taking necessary steps to start to address the pay inequities between nurses employed by general practices and those employed by Te Whatu Ora.
Don’t squander goodwill Minister
There is goodwill from the workforce towards the new health minister. The workforce understands both that he is not responsible for the crisis and that there is no overnight solution. It will take time.
But the workforce desperately needs confidence. It needs to see that there is a planned direction of travel that makes good pragmatic sense; and not based on soundbites or jargon.
The longer they continue not to see this direction of travel, the more the workforce will lose confidence.
Instead of seeing Dr Reti as part of the solution, increasingly he will be seen as part of the problem. This would be a tragedy.
You are not in opposition now Dr Reti (apologies to Guatemala and Shortland St)!
Ian Powell was Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, the professional union representing senior doctors and dentists in New Zealand, for over 30 years, until December 2019. He is now a health systems, labour market, and political commentator living in the small river estuary community of Otaihanga (the place by the tide). First published at Otaihanga Second Opinion
Over three months later, the impact of “these shortages is worsening. This became clear from figures released by Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) on the increasing number of people waiting more than four months for hospital treatment”
This sums up National to a tee. Things always get worse under National governments, that is beyond dispute.
“Things always get worse under National governments, that is beyond dispute” – Only for those in the “not well off” category – most of the population. Things improve for speculator landlords, for billionaires, for speculative investors and for capital investors.
Sorry Bob, my mistake, you are quite correct.
Dead right NASC.
This govt and its followers are nothing but self centred selfish assholes.
Who dont give a shit.
I am PISSED OFF beyond words.
Cigaretti is another joke in this government. Why stop an organisation that is directing care where to where it bis needed most his own Whanau purely on political revenge politics.Then there was the sham extra security at A+E Departments .The local hospital where my daughter used to work ,the extra security was the 60 year old cleaner who also had to take on the extra roll of providing security.That person was given no training for that roll and was expected to continue to clean the whole hospital as well .I would suggest none of the so called extra security staff had any training and would have been of no or little use in an emergency .They were more than likely recruited off a plane from India as it landed in Auckland .
My daughter has since left her A+E Nurseing job after a late night rampage by an out of control arsehole and his mrs .How many more have or will do the same ?
Security come from WINZ’s employment challenged listings.Mature Employment previously provided them also, along with exam supervisors, but I don’t know if ME still exists.They weren’t very good.
Gee this person put the boot into Labour who had to rebuild and establish systems as the gnats public services funding was slashed and burned all so they could deliver tax cuts and they are doing the same. Our public schools were run down and leaky as were our public hospitals.
Exactly.
A typical nat all hot air.
Not one damn word has come out of him that will improve the health system crisis.
NOW MORPHINE IS RUNNING OUT AND NONE DUE FOR MONTHS.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/morphine-shortage-across-new-zealand-impacting-patients-in-palliative-care-new-stock-months-away/MNGW675QBFCFVGDPF765GZSM2Q/?
All you NAT ACT AND NZ 1st assholes can go screw yourselves.
Bleeding the country dry to give your landlord class and ceo types tax cuts to the tune of 19 billion.
Meanwhile meds get short funded, hospital rebuilds stalled and the staffing crisis worsen thanks for fucking nothing.
This is a pattern in NZ … Labour and allies get into power and must rebuild the State after the damage inflicted by the previous right wing administration (usually National and increasingly with the support of far right ACT fucktards) – then cop flak from Nat/ACT in opposition around being poor money managers and spending as if the money were their own and there were no limits to said spending. This is especially relevant to the current lot who bleated on ad nauseum when campaigning about the need to reign in ‘wasteful’ government spending on wasteful stuff like health, education and welfare.
This current lot took advantage of angst in the community around covid mandates to push through their own version of reality – which clearly doesn’t reflect that of the community despite the electoral results.
It was poop when National took over and is poop now if its still poop in another 2 and a half years throw the sods out until then we can winge all we like and it isn’t going to change a thing other than satisfying your need to have your sound bubble filled
A small point of difference in poop. Labour were trying to create a smoke free NZ. Reti and his mob are creating a smoking pathway to support National s funders when the history of evidence shows us that smoking kills. They are also increasing speed on our roads when the history of evidence shows us that speed kills.
This government are killers.
Small farmer with a small brain sounds like its fill of poop
The government needs to run primary clinics and employ GP’s directly. That is the only way to do it. Then the doctors can focus on treating patients, rather than running businesses. Access to healthcare should be widened, not restricted.
Yep GP’s should be employed through ACC which should be a medicare agency.
Agreed, we also need more GPs so opening up another medical school anywhere makes sense.
shit make it free if you have to then bond them for a meaningful time length.
I know what will fix it ,Lets slash MOH jobs by 25%