NZ Overhauls GP Training Jobs to Attract More Doctors

Health Minister Simeon Brown announced that Health New Zealand will directly employ first-year GP trainees, removing employment barriers that have discouraged some junior doctors from choosing general practice.

The New Zealand Government is changing how first-year general practice (GP) trainees are employed, a move aimed at making primary care careers more attractive and strengthening the country’s GP workforce.

Health Minister Simeon Brown announced that Health New Zealand will directly employ first-year GP trainees, removing employment barriers that have discouraged some junior doctors from choosing general practice.

Applications under the new system will open Monday for the 2027 intake.

Removing Barriers for New GP Trainees

Under the current model, doctors transitioning from hospital training into their first year of GP training must leave Health New Zealand employment and instead become employees of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP).

Officials say that shift can disrupt employment conditions, including leave entitlements and continuity of service, creating uncertainty for doctors early in their careers.

Brown said the new approach will allow trainees to maintain stable employment conditions as they move into general practice training.

“Health New Zealand will directly employ all first-year GP trainees not already in private practice, removing barriers and making it easier for new doctors to begin their careers in general practice,” he said.

“Under the new model, doctors will remain employed by Health New Zealand during their first year of GP training, keeping the same employment conditions and continuity of benefits as their hospital-based colleagues.”

Training Programme Structure Remains

While employment arrangements will change, the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners will continue to oversee the training programme.

The College will retain responsibility for:

• Curriculum development

• Training standards

• Quality assurance

• Clinical placement coordination

Currently, about 60 percent of first-year GP trainees are employed by the College, while the remaining trainees are employed by private practices. In the later years of training, most GP registrars move to employment within general practices.

Strengthening Primary Care Access

The government says the policy change is part of a broader effort to address workforce shortages in primary care.

“We know primary care is the cornerstone of our health system,” Brown said.

“If we want New Zealanders to see a GP when they need one, we must make it simpler and more attractive for doctors to train in general practice.”

He added that expanding the GP workforce would improve access to healthcare across the country.

“We are focused on strengthening the pipeline because every additional GP means better access to healthcare for patients and their families.”

Wider Workforce Expansion Plans

The GP training employment reform forms part of a broader government strategy to increase the number of doctors entering the health system.

Current initiatives include:

• Increasing medical training places at the Universities of Auckland and Otago by 100 additional students per year during the current government term

• Establishing the Waikato Medical School, expected to train 120 additional doctors annually from 2028

• Supporting 100 overseas-trained doctors already living in New Zealand to begin work in GP practices within the next two years

• Funding up to 50 New Zealand-trained graduate doctors annually to train in primary care settings

• Fully funding GP training fees for all three years of the programme, bringing it into line with other medical specialties

Health officials say these measures are designed to improve workforce sustainability and ensure patients can access timely primary care services in the future.