Resident Doctors Can Save Kenepuru Hospital’s Emergency Department
The solution to staffing Kenepuru Hospital’s emergency department overnight sustainably is the employment of resident doctors specifically for the hospital’s emergency department, says the union representing resident doctors the New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association (NZRDA).
Kenepuru Hospital provides services to around 120,000 people who live in Porirua, Tawa and Kapiti Coast.
Currently the service is staffed overnight by locum GPs, costing $170,000 per month. There is a proposal to remove after-hours medical care all together.
Kenepuru Hospital is the only emergency department in the country which does not employ resident doctors.
“If Te Whatu Ora stops employing doctors at Kenepuru Hospital overnight, patients will just end up at Wellington Hospital, one of the most overcrowded emergency departments in the country,” said Dr Deborah Powell, National Secretary of NZRDA
“The same money currently being spent on locums could be used to employ 6 house officers and 6 registrars full time, resulting in Te Whatu Ora saving money by the end of the year, whilst securing a source of long term sustainable staffing” continued Dr Powell.
“Working in Kenepuru Hospital’s ED could be a great training experience for doctors training in emergency medicine, general practice, acute medicine, rural hospital medicine and paediatrics.”
“Our union is ready to work with senior doctors and Te Whatu Ora managers to build a roster and a training rotation to ensure resident doctors are available at all times at Kenepuru Hospital to respond to accidents and emergencies in Porirua and the Kapiti Cast.” concluded Dr Powell.
Emergency Departments with comparable catchment populations to Kenepuru Hospital and their resident doctor staffing:
- Hutt Hospital ED provides serves a population of approximately 100,000 people and is staffed by 9 house officers and 9 registrars training in emergency medicine.
- Southland Hospital ED also serves a population of approximately 100,000 people and is staffed by 7 house officers and 8 registrars training in emergency medicine.
- Rotorua Hospital ED serves a population of approximately 100,000 people and employs, 7 house officers and 7 registrars training in emergency medicine.
- Hutt, Southland and Rotorua EDs also always have emergency medicine trained senior doctors on call or on duty.
CONTACT
Dr. Deborah Powell, NZRDA National Secretary, is available for comment on 021 614 040 or secretary@nzrda.org.nz
ENDS
The New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association supports Resident Medical Officers (RMOs), General Practitioners (GPs), and Trainee Interns (TIs), and negotiates and enforces their terms and conditions of employment.
The NZRDA is the only union in New Zealand solely representing the interests and protecting the safety of RMOs (RMO means Resident Medical Officer and includes trainee interns, house surgeons, senior house officers and registrars). We are run by resident doctors for resident doctors and have been since we were founded in 1985.