Doctor: ‘Global crisis affecting primary care’ – PHOs committed to more access

My observations of the health care delivery system operating in this country suggest there are some contributing factors to a problem that could relatively easily be resolved with attention to detail of the immigration law.
I believe that there are aspects of the law that are not being enforced to the extent they should be.
Under close examination, it would seem that health professionals (of which there appear to be more than enough to cover most of the vacancies) seeking permanent residency to New Zealand are not always being required to work the full 40 hour week that is part of most conditions of employment for the rest of us.
You only have to try to get a non-urgent appointment with your regular GP member of large clinics similar to the one Fergus leads.
Far too often the difficulty gaining that appointment is due to the GP having negotiating terms of employment that are for less hours than what normally equates to the full week.
While that situation is clearly one reason why there are staff shortages in clinics across the nation - and good luck to those who negotiate a contract that requires only limited attendance - shouldn’t we be imposing more strict conditions of employment on those immigrants who would be happy to go anywhere and be on duty for a normal working week just to gain permanent residency? While not likely to solve the GP shortage on its own, it does present an option we should consider.
Just common sense really.