Hospital bosses reject service cuts

Rotorua Hospital bosses are allaying fears that patient services will be cut amid what doctors are calling the hospital's worst recruitment crisis. Last week The Daily Post revealed that of the 240 medical students graduating from Auckland and Otago medical schools in November, only one has been ``matched' to a job at Rotorua Hospital. It means Lakes District Health Board has filled only one of its 11 first-year doctor vacancies in the first recruitment round _ the worst result for any of the country's 21 health boards. The union representing junior doctors says the result makes Rotorua Hospital the least attractive hospital for medical students in the country, a reputation it claims is due to Lakes' doctors being overworked and underpaid. Rotorua doctor Ben McConchie, who represents provincial doctors on the union's negotiating team, said the recruitment crisis was an ``avoidable tragedy', and he fears not filling the vacancies would have dire consequences for local patients. Based on problems the DHB already had in finding locums to cover junior doctors taking leave, he said it was likely services would be cut. That would impact on elective surgery lists, specifically patients waiting for general and orthopaedic surgery. Lakes health board declined to answer specific Daily Post questions relating to the recruitment problem, instead emailing a statement. In it, communications officer Sue Wilkie said the board was grateful to junior doctors for all their efforts, especially over a demanding winter period. The board wanted to improve its relationship with junior doctors, recruiting a senior HR consultant manager to head a new medical management unit to ``progress matters' with the junior doctors and their union. The appointment of Jenny Martelli, who has managed junior doctors in her previous roles at Lakes, is for one year. The board declined to comment last week on what impact the recruitment crisis would have on patient services. However, it has told Rotorua MP Steve Chadwick that services won't be scaled back. ``I have sought an assurance from the board that it has a planned approach and strategy in place for filling these vacancies and that services will not be compromised,' she said. ``I am confident that the board is addressing the issues appropriately and taking proactive steps to ensure it maintains sustainable health services for the Rotorua public.' Before they graduate, medical students are ``matched' to a DHB to work for as a first-year house officer. Placements are based on graduates preferences. This year, only one of the 240 graduates has been matched to Rotorua Hospital after the first recruitment round. There are 36 first-year vacancies nationwide after the first recruitment round, with 10-28 per cent _ at Lakes. A second round, which will include overseas students, will happen on August 25. Union secretary Dr Deborah Powell said she hoped Ms Martelli's appointment would resolve problems at Lakes between management and the junior doctor workforce. ``The doctors have been raising employment issues with management and the problem is that they haven't had any constructive responses,' she said. ``If current management has failed, they're going to need a change of management to try and improve things. It's going to take a lot of work to crawl out of the hole Lakes has got itself in.'