What does the Government say?

early years.

‘‘We’re kicking off in the Waikato... we don’t want to run before we can walk, so it’s much easier to start small and locally," Ross Lawrenson, Waikato Professor of population health, told health professionals at the National Rural Health Conference in Wellington this month.

The finer details around the Auckland/Otago proposal are scarce, but those behind it say it has a country-wide focus.

‘‘A rural health plan ... developed [by Otago] in 2015 ... received a positive response when we took it to the sector. But Tim Malloy and others made it clear their desire was for a national and co-operative model,’’ says Otago senior lecturer in rural health Dr Garry Nixon.

‘‘I’m sure that the major reason was for a desire to see something all New Zealand’s diverse rural communities could participate in.’’ Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman has received Waikato’s draft business case for the third medical school, and says ministers will take time to assess it before any decisions are made. ‘‘It’s still at an early stage.’’ It’s understood no formal business case has been put forward yet by Auckland and Otago.

‘‘We know that recruitment and retention of GPs, access issues for patients, and limited resources and training for rural healthcare workers are some of the challenges.’’

Coleman underlined evidence that says: ‘‘The best solution to rural health workforce shortages involves selecting students early from regional and remote centres and maintaining their exposure to the challenges of rural primary healthcare throughout their education.’’

Labour supports the Otago/ Auckland case, says David Clark, the party’s health spokesman.

‘‘Labour has seen the business case for Waikato but the financial details were redacted which makes it hard to come to a decision without crucial information.’’

Clark agreed that international evidence suggests the rural GP shortage is best addressed by recruiting people from rural backgrounds.

This is best done through bonding schemes, and through ongoing professional development in small towns in the regions, he says.

‘‘Of course, Auckland and Otago have a proposal to put in place just such a model.’’

The Government supports rural and hard-to-staff locations through medical immersion programmes and a voluntary bonding scheme, which provides graduate funding in hard-to-staff communities and specialities. It is $10,000 each year for a doctor, or $2833 for a nurse, on top of their income.