Ageing workforce a concern

An ageing hospital workforce and rising turnover rates has sparked concerns for the future of the health sector.

More than a third of Midcentral District Health Board staff are now over the age of 55, up from just over 20 per cent five years ago.

Meanwhile, staff turnover at Palmerston North Hospital has also increased, up nearly 15 per cent compared to last year.

Both have been cited by the DHB as ‘‘significant areas of concern’’.

The issue was raised at a Midcentral DHB meeting this week.

Midcentral people and culture general manager Janine Hearn said 31.2 per cent of its workforce was over the age of 55. Five years ago, that was only 21.9 per cent.

Hearn said while that was consistent with national trends, Midcentral’s increase had been more marked.

Nationally the proportion of staff over 55 had increased from 22.5 per cent to 27.6 per cent.

Hearn’s report said this demonstrated the importance of succession planning and said more work was needed in that area.

This was a key part of Midcentral’s new organisational developmental plan.

Staff turnover has also shot up, increasing by 14.8 per cent compared to last year.

Overall, the turnover rate was 8.9 per cent.

Board member Karen Naylor questioned the reason for the higher rate.

Hearn said the turnover rate was still ‘‘reasonably low’’ compared to other DHBS.

She said they had not identified any specific reason for the increase.

‘‘We are looking to understand a bit more where we are losing those people from and are there particular signals that is sending us about issues in the workforce.’’

Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Ian Powell said though the problem was nothing new, it was not being dealt with.

‘‘It is only going to get worse and worse.’’

Powell said there was a lack of planning for it.

‘‘Nothing is being done of note in this respect.’’

Those over 55, and even over 65, were still capable of being a doctor but the aging workforce was only increasing.

Powell said there was an ‘‘entrenched shortage’’ with more people leaving than coming in.

The ageing health sector workforce was consistent with an aging population as a whole, he said.

Powell said demands on doctors led to high turnover.

‘‘There are very few services in a public hospital that do not require after hours acute care to be provided.

‘‘But as you get older that becomes more difficult.’’

Doctors often left hospital positions before they gave up medicine.

There was a ‘‘locum friendly market’’ which allowed doctors to continue in medicine in a less onerous way, he said.

Labour health spokeswoman Annette King said the ageing health workforce was a New Zealand-wide problem.

She said there was a desperate need to look at new ways to encourage people into training.

‘‘You can’t make a person go where you want them to or train in an area you want.’’

King acknowledged efforts were being made to address it, but it was a difficult issue.

‘‘If an opportunity comes up in Australia or overseas, they don’t always want to end up in the far flung parts of New Zealand.’’