Rural Hospital Doctors

 

Rural Hospital Doctors

The New Zealand Rural Hospital Doctors Working Party, formed at the July 2005 Rural Health Summit in Wellington, was given the task to provide solutions to the vocational registration problems of rural hospital doctors (RHD).

It decided that the best way forward was to apply to the Medical Council of New Zealand for recognition of a new vocational scope of rural hospital medicine and branch advisory body status.

It is only considering the vocational registration needs of generalist medical officers and GPs in small rural hospitals with no, or very limited, specialist cover.

The Rural Hospital Doctors Working Party has submitted an application to the Medical Council of New Zealand for recognition of:

1. The Division of Rural Hospital Medicine as a Branch Advisory Body (BAB),
   and
2. Rural Hospital Medicine as a new vocational scope of practice.

Earlier on in the year, the Working Party consulted with relevant organisations on questions 1-3. It also consulted on question 7 which would be of particular interest to other colleges. Many of the responses were in the form of questions about issues that were covered in other parts of the BAB application, particularly those on training. In these situations submitters were provided with additional relevant sections of the BAB application. Appropriate changes have been made to the application in response to this feedback.
In addition to consultation with stakeholder organisations, drafts were circulated widely amongst the rural hospital medical workforce. All New Zealand rural hospital doctors were then invited to a full day meeting in Christchurch in April. Thirty-nine rural hospital doctors attended that meeting. The proposal was again presented to the meeting and feedback sought, some of which resulted in further changes to the application. All doctors actively involved in rural hospital work in New Zealand were then given the opportunity to vote (in person, by mail or by proxy) as to whether they thought the application should proceed as outlined. The response was overwhelming with 44 out of 46 voting to proceed - 96% support.

The Working Party attaches for your information the full application to the MCNZ, except the curriculum, which is an adapted ACCRM curriculum.

 Letter

 Grandparenting

 Question 1

 Question 2

 Question 3

 Question 4

Question 5

 Question 6

 Question 7

 Question 8

 Question 9

 Question 10

 Question 11

 Question 12

 Question 13