DHB bill for fill-in doctors almost $4m

Northland District Health Board spent almost $4 million in one year on locum doctors, mainly at Whangarei Hospital, above. Photo / File

The Northland District Health Board spent nearly $4 million on locum doctors last financial year.

A total of 34 locum doctors worked for the DHB in the year to June 30. They cost $3,640,223 in salaries, $191,786 in accommodation costs and $84,892 in travel expenses.

Over the same period, 167 permanent doctors worked for the DHB. They cost $36,752,383 in salaries and $21,244 in accommodation costs, which included short-term relocation support for new appointees.

Northland DHB communications officer Paula Martin said locums were used throughout the organisation and recruited either directly or through reputable medical locum agencies.

Locum doctors covered for periods of leave and provided cover while the DHB recruited for a permanent appointment, she said.

Ms Martin said locum doctors needed to have a current New Zealand Medical Council practising certificate. They had to provide an up to date resume and were reference checked.

New Zealand Medical Association chairman Stephen Child said permanent workforces offering continuity of care in the regions were the "holy grail".

However, that was hard to achieve in small regional centres where there was not enough of a workload to recruit some senior specialists and locums filled vacancies, Dr Child said.

He said paying permanent doctors more was not the answer to the locum issue, as more money did not necessarily make employees happier.

Dr Child said autonomy, feeling rewarded and work/life balance were all things that made staff happy.