KEY POINTS:
District health boards need to entice anaesthetists to areas with dire shortages by offering attractive employment packages, the New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists says.
President Andrew Warmington said the shortage in some areas was a growing concern because of the impact it had on elective and acute surgery.
While the main centres and areas like Nelson, Tauranga and Hawkes Bay were able to attract staff, it was a big problem in smaller, more isolated regions such as Gisborne and Greymouth, Dr Warmington said.
"It is an issue because if you don't have enough anaesthetists in a hospital you can't maintain a surgical service. It can impact on the provision of elective surgery and, more importantly, acute surgery including childbirth emergencies such as Caesarean sections and major trauma from road accidents."
Dr Warmington said the problem often escalated because anaesthetists who did work in smaller areas could be overworked and often left.
He said the Society of Anaesthetists had done its best to draw attention to the problem but he believed it was now up to DHBs and hospital management to play their part.
"Ultimately hospitals need to be creative with their employment packages to entice and retain anaesthetists," Dr Warmington said.
"Helping to write off student loans may entice people. Another thing to look at is local school opportunities as anaesthetists often have families and schooling can be a concern when moving."
- NZPA
