Work to continue towards Waikato Medical School

The University of Waikato has responded to the minister of health’s announcement that the Government will not proceed with a new rural medical school by reiterating its commitment to building a healthier New Zealand for all.

University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley says that the University will continue supporting the Government to address urgent needs in primary health care, while also building long-term support for its proposal to establish a third medical school for New Zealand.

“The proposal was always more than a rural medical school, with the critical GP shortage across the board in primary care. We respect the Government’s call on short-term rural priorities and stand ready to deliver a modern medical school that truly reflects the needs and diversity of New Zealand in the near future”, said Professor Quigley. “Only by providing diversity in entry and training options will we produce the diversity in health workforce outcomes that the country needs; our reliance on the recruitment of foreign-trained doctors is not sustainable. The Waikato Medical School proposal will continue to be a robust option when the time comes to sustainably address health workforce shortages.”

Professor Quigley says the University will continue working with the Government and Ministry of Health to find solutions to growing GP shortages. “The Waikato Medical School proposal addresses many of the rural workforce issues that the Minister has identified. We look forward to contributing further innovative thinking to help address those issues. The Waikato Medical School is widely seen as a key initiative for the health of all New Zealanders.”

The University of Waikato and the Waikato District Health Board put the proposal for a new medical school to the government in October 2016, as part of a strategic alliance to address medical workforce shortages and community health needs. Right now, rural and provincial centres depend on the approximately 1100 overseas doctors recruited to New Zealand each year. The health needs of New Zealand’s aging and rapidly expanding population are also becoming more complex.