Health Hawke's Bay and the Hawke's Bay District Health Board are working together to try to address retention and recruitment issues with general practices in the region, with rural GP shortages also in their sights.
The Royal College of General Practitioners 2015 workforce survey report, which was released earlier this month, sounded the alarm about the falling number of general practitioners throughout the country, further evidenced in waiting lists for patients wishing to enrol with a practice, and practices with closed books.
The report noted that in some regions it was a struggle to attract GPs and in those locations vacancies remained unfilled for extended periods, and it also warned about an ageing workforce adding to doctor shortages.
In Hawke's Bay 32 GP practices are listed on the DHB website. Of those, 9 are said to have full books, 13 are taking patients with conditions, and 10 are currently enrolling.
At the CHB Health Centre in Waipukurau where Tukituki Medical is based, Dr Paddy O'Brien said the practice was full to the brim but that did not mean they did not register new patients, and they also saw casual patients all the time.