Workforce continues to be the dominant issue facing the health professions around the world.
In New Zealand, this is being felt in both in our hospitals and in general practice, and is of concern to the public as their need for oversight of their healthcare grows.
Many commentators, including myself, have cited the movement to embrace the use of Advanced Practice Providers (or APPs) by modern healthcare systems elsewhere. APPs include such professionals as nurse practitioners, nurse anaesthetists, nurse endoscopists, and physician associates.
It is unrealistic to believe that the way out of our and others’ present shortages is through training or importation of more doctors. While this will be important, acceptance of the contribution APPs can make to the solution is also crucial.
Medicus is supportive of this approach and looks forward to the better definition of their scope of practice. Acceptance of physician associates is before us at the present time as they seek a registration under the HPCAA, perhaps through the Medical Council.
While there appears to be growing acceptance of nurse practitioners within our healthcare workforce, there appears to be division regarding the welcoming of physician associates to that workforce.
New Zealand has around 30 PAs, all of whom have been trained in the UK or the US, under an abbreviated but similar education and training model to doctors.
Medicus has welcomed this group, to which it provides professional indemnity cover, and looks forward to their being granted registration in NZ, and given an appropriate scope of practice.
New Zealand’s healthcare professionals have seen great change over the last 50 years and need to be ready and open to more.
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