Improving the state of NZ’s general practice system

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-09-15 00:01

New Zealand

PHOTO: National Cancer Institute/Unsplash

General practice plays a vital role in Aotearoa New Zealand’s health system, but we clearly have a problem, argue a team of GPs in an editorial piece. The system hasn’t delivered equitable outcomes, especially for Māori and Pasifika communities. The workforce is under-resourced and increasingly burnt out. Traditional 15-minute consultations are no longer adequate. So what’s the solution? For general practice, the authors say the way forward involves rebuilding staffing levels with a workforce that reflects Aotearoa New Zealand society. This workforce would have the capability and connections to deliver accessible, high-quality care in partnership both with communities and with the wider health and social care systems.

Media release

From: Pasifika Medical Association Group

General practice plays a vital role in Aotearoa New Zealand’s health system, but we clearly have a problem. The system has not delivered equitable outcomes, especially for Māori and Pacific communities, and it is also struggling to provide population health outcomes that meet expectations. The workforce is under-resourced, under-valued, poorly distributed and increasingly burnt out. Traditional 15-minute consultations are no longer adequate to meet today’s increasingly
complex demands, and the funding formula has long since passed its use by date. The way forward to a sustainable, equitable system involves rebuilding staffing levels in a way that reflects Aotearoa New Zealand, providing the capacity, capability and connections to deliver accessible, high-quality care.

Journal/
conference: New Zealand Medical Journal

Organisation/s: University of Otago, General Practice New Zealand; Pinnacle Midlands Health Network,

Funder: n/a

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