Media release from minister of health Hon Tony Ryall

Health Minster Tony Ryall today released the Senior Medical Officers Workforce Commission report and recommendations on recruiting and retaining senior medical doctors.

"The Commission on Competitive and Sustainable Terms and Conditions of Employment for Senior Medical and Dental Officers Employed by District Health Boards was set up by the previous government last year to investigate a sustainable and competitive workforce strategy for senior doctors.

"Senior doctors are vital to the running of our hospitals and the Commission's brief was to investigate and recommend ways to retain and recruit these valuable professionals" said Mr Ryall.

"The Commission's report is a comprehensive commentary and analysis. The recommendations are accepted and the Ministry of Health has already begun implementing the 13 recommendations, most of which are around the importance of engaging senior doctors in the running of the public health system. This values their commitment and engages them in key clinical decision making."

"The report is consistent with the Government's clinical leadership agenda which requires DHBs to better engage their clinical staff in their organisations. The "In Good Hands" report commissioned by the government and written by senior clinicians earlier this year is a guide for DHBs to harness greater participation and engagement of staff throughout the public health sector."

"New Zealand is potentially vulnerable as a small, relatively isolated country in terms of recruiting and retaining senior medical employees, both those trained here in New Zealand and international medical graduates," said Mr Ryall.

"The Commission spent several months engaging senior doctors along with medical training bodies, specialist medical colleges, district health boards, workforce representatives and other professional organisations.

"The result is a well-considered set of recommendations that have been accepted and a progress report on their implementation will be presented in December,"  the Health Minister says.

Background

During the 2007/08 pay talks, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) and district health boards (DHBs) asked the Director-General of Health to establish a commission to consider recruitment, retention and remuneration matters for senior doctors or SMOs.

The Commission was established in 2008 and comprised:

Len Cook (chair) - former Government Statistician and current Chair of the Medical Training Board

Dr Dwayne Crombie - former Chief Executive of Waitemata DHB and current CEO of Guardian Healthcare

Ross Wilson - then chair of the Accident Compensation Corporation and former President of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions

The Commission's Terms of Reference and its report (including recommendations) is available on the Ministry of Health's website