Struggling GPS plead for help

Currently 180 students train each year to become GPS.

Doctors fear a crisis is looming as a shortage in GPS looks set to get worse, while funding for those who need help accessing primary health remains unfair.

The 350 doctors, who have written to Health Minister Jonathan Coleman, have detailed how a day when they get a break to go to the toilet once is considered a good day, and how they have to see patients who can’t pay doctor’s fees, for free.

One Hamilton GP said clients who had moved to rural areas were calling up in tears because they could not find a GP who would see them, while another in Northland said doctors were struggling with an increasing unpaid workload, and falling incomes.

The stories, told in digital postcards to be delivered to the minister later this month, surprised even Dr Tim Malloy, the president of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP).

‘‘I was incredibly surprised, I knew the sentiment was out there because people had spoken to me directly. What I did not realise was the extent of it.’’

That doctors had taken the time out of incredibly busy days to write to the minister reflected the level of passion the problem had generated within the workforce.

There were ‘‘pockets’’ of places where it was getting very hard to get to see a GP. Patea, a small township in Taranaki, had been without a local doctor since early July.

‘‘I don’t think we’re at that critical point yet where I could hand on heart say patients’ safety is an issue ... but that’s the risk we’re trying to manage, that’s why we’re trying to do something about it before we get to that point.’’

The Government needed to look at the way it distributed funding to ensure those most at need were able to afford to see a doctor. It also needed to address a looming workforce shortage.

Coleman agreed the tool in place to provide cheaper visits for people who needed them was blunt.

‘‘I’ve had officials working on a more individualised and more targeted approach months now.’’

Malloy acknowledged different governments had tried to help with the shortage, but the problem was that from the time a person entered medical school to the time they were a skilled, capable, GP was at least 15 years.

Currently 180 students trained each year to become GPS, but that number needed to be 300.

Wellington GP Dr Rachael Waters said her main concern was the ageing workforce. Most of the GPS in her Churton Park practice where in their 40s and 50s, and representative of the workforce nationwide.

‘‘Clearly most of us are going to be gone in 15 years. I don’t know who’s going to be there ... it’s extremely concerning, I don’t know who’s going to be looking after everybody.’’ for some

There needed to be drastic, rapid change, if the ‘‘huge gap’’ in the workforce was going to be filled in time. Med students would prefer to specialise in areas that had better pay than general practice, to help pay off massive student loans.

Ministry of Health group manager people and transformation Claire Austin said the ministry had been working with RNZCGP, and had increased the number of funded GP trainees from 50 per year in the early 2000s to 185.

There was a Medical Workforce Pipeline programme in place to ensure a sustainable medical workforce, which helped trainee doctors make informed decisions when choosing specialties.

The Government had a number of initiatives to improve the distribution of the workforce in rural areas.