Plan welcomed but more emphasis on primary and community workforce needed

The chair of the country’s leading primary and community health sector group, The Federation of Primary Health Aotearoa (FPHANZ) says whilst today’s plan from Te Whatu Ora is positive, there needs to be equal focus on primary and community health workforce needs.

Growing NZ’s own rural health teams and building a workforce representative of communities across New Zealand is a positive development as is growing rural and interdisciplinary training programmes to enable larger student intakes.

FPHANZ Chair, Steve Chadwick, says they support the initiative outlined today, and would welcome equal emphasis on primary and community workforces which continue to be under considerable strain.

“I have not read the plan in detail but from what I have seen, for example where it refers to nurses, there’s nothing that makes clear whether they are primary health nurses or based in hospitals,” says Ms Chadwick. “The appropriate resourcing of community level health care is just as important as in hospitals; that’s where we hopefully catch health issues before they need a greater level of care.”

FPHANZ Executive Director, Angela Francis, agrees.

“This plan from Te Whatu Ora is huge and has real grunt,” she says. “It’s very pleasing to see issues like retention, training, supporting career pathways and recruitment front and centre across a wide range of disciplines. The “earn as you learn” approach is innovative and shows Te Whatu Ora has listened to the sector. The Federation is a big supporter of “growing our own” in this country of smart, passionate and hardworking people.”

Steve Chadwick says the Federation is pleased to see a clear intention in the Te Whatu Ora plan, to make changes to models of care across the health system, and shift towards community-based care.

“A well-resourced and supported primary and community health sector, makes the overall health system robust, effective and successful,” she says.