SYDNEY - New Zealand anaesthetists are playing the role of flying doctors as they cross the Tasman on weekend stints to help rural New South Wales cope with staff shortages.
Although New Zealand has its own dearth of anaesthetists, causing waiting lists to lengthen and surgery cancellations, New Zealand locums havebeen filling roster holes in at least two NSW hospitals.
Over the past two months, two have flown over from Auckland to cover vacancies on three occasions at Lismore Base Hospital, in the state's north, and another is due to do a shift there this weekend.
Local anaesthetist Dr David Scott expected the situation to continue at the hospital unless the issue of staff shortages in rural areas was addressed.
As in New Zealand, most Australian health professionals wanted to live in the cities, he said today.
"People are dealing with it in two different ways," he said.
"Everyone just works harder to the point where they are working dangerously long hours, or we get anaesthetists from interstate or New Zealand."
For New Zealanders, the attractions were a trip away and the pay, Dr Scott said.
"They get a paid trip to Australia and they get good pay," he said. "They get paid more than we do to do the same weekend."
