Untrained GPs providing primary health care to Kiwis
Approximately 700 of New Zealand’s General Practitioners are not qualified as GPs (although they are qualified as doctors).
Unlike countries like Australia, the United States and the UK, New Zealand is unusual in not requiring its GPs to undertake separate training as General Practitioners.
Furthermore, about another 700 GPs are currently in training, under various levels of supervision, and provide primary health care to local communities.
Therefore, of the approximately 4100 GPs in New Zealand, 1400 (about one third) of them are not trained to be so.
This is somewhat disturbing news, particularly at a time when there is a national shortage of doctors in general, and GPs in particular.
The governments answer would seem to be to encourage the use of nurses to relieve doctors of some of their workload, but international studies show this is a problematic practice, and it is doubtful it will have the desired effect.
New Zealand should take a leaf out of the global health care book, and insist upon doctors who wish to be GPs being trained specifically as GPs.
General practice is a specialism. It is reasonable to assume that people engaged in specialist pursuits – such as a oncology, pediatrics, or neurosurgery – would have had specific additional training to ensure they understand their field and are able to provide the best possible care.
Shouldn’t we expect the same from General Practice – doctors from whom, in the Government’s primary health care strategy, a great deal is expected?
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