Junior doctors single out their best and worst hospitals

Middlemore Hospital has been described as a popular workplace for junior doctors because South Auckland offers "plenty of pathology and a range of conditions not seen anywhere else in New Zealand."

But North Shore Hospital has also been singled out in a junior doctors' newsletter as "not the best place to work at the moment, but if management continues to show the desire to improve things, North Shore should be a lot better in the near future."

The newsletter is published by the doctors' union, which has reviewed the country's hospitals to provide a guide for graduates looking for places to work. It describes the advantages and pitfalls of various employers.

It describes Whangarei as "a good option for all first-years looking for a combination of social activities and good clinical exposure."

Gisborne Hospital attracts little criticism, but since the analysis was published the hospital's board has been sacked over mistakes in screening for prostate cancer.

Taranaki's record is generally good, but it is described as probably the least forward-thinking hospital in the country (an editor's note adds Canterbury to this).

The newsletter says junior doctors find Waikato Hospital one of the best places to work.

Waikato is said to have an "excellent" working environment, combining centrality and the convenience of being in a larger centre with the kind of consultant relationships and enthusiasm for teaching one would find in a smaller centre.

Health Waikato was yesterday pleased to learn of the accolade.

Communications manager Karen Bennett said positions there were highly contested by junior doctors.

Tauranga Hospital was also described "a great place to work."

The review said that Tauranga Hospital's schedule of 55 hours' work a week, with no nights for the first six months, one long day a week and three weekends a quarter seemed to suit junior doctors.

The analysis commented favourably on teaching, and on "a good working relationship between [young doctors] and management, with a willingness on both sides to resolve differences amicably."

The hospital's popularity owed a lot to outside factors, too.

The analysis commented on "reasonably priced accommodation at the Mount" with "the possibility of beachfront luxury," and spoke of the "excellent" cafes and bars in both the Mount and Tauranga.

Rotorua is described as having some of the "nicest" management in the country. "They seem really sensible, but then very little happens."

The newsletter gives Palmerston North Hospital a hammering, labelling it "resistant to change, [with] policies and procedures [that] are outmoded and outdated."

Nelson Hospital is criticised for "substandard pay" and having difficulty in retaining junior doctors. Nelson's management said it did not want to comment on the findings.

Wellington gets a mixed review, summed up by the comment, "A great place to live; pity about the employer."

Capital Coast Health chief executive Margot Mains said the hospital and health service had worked hard in the past year to address junior doctor issues.

It had improved rosters, increased staffing and provided relief cover for annual leave.

Other improvements included increasing funding for meals and a common room for junior doctors.

Hawkes Bay, where Napier and Hastings Hospitals have amalgamated, is described as having "some serious underlying problems with management's attitude to RMOs [resident medical officers]."

Canterbury gets generally favourable comments, despite "somewhat rocky" implementation of the collective employment contract and junior doctors' difficulty obtaining leave.

Wanganui Hospital is described as well equipped for its size, with few major problems.

Dunedin is described as "a much better place to work than two to three years ago." The newsletter talks of the benefits to be derived from working at such a teaching hospital.