Hon Tony Ryall
Minister of Health

29 June 2010 Media Statement
Voluntary bonding popular with Hutt Valley nurses

The Government has announced that more than 500 applications have been accepted for the second intake in the voluntary bonding scheme for recent health graduates.

Of the 500, there are seven nurses in the Hutt Valley District Health Board who have signed up. They intend to work in work in a hard to staff specialty.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says, "We budgeted for 350 graduates signing up this year, but received 500 applications and we've accepted them all. From both intakes, we've now signed up around 1,400 graduates."

The Government introduced voluntary bonding as a way to encourage young doctors, nurses and midwives to work in hard to staff regions and specialties.

The scheme encourages health graduates to establish careers in hard to staff specialities and communities in New Zealand by offering student loan write-offs or cash incentives over three to five years.

"This year, the Ministry of Health also collected information about which DHB the applicants plan to be working for."

"Workforce shortages are a major challenge in health, and schemes like this help keep young graduates here. It is great news that we are oversubscribed again this year."

The scheme was introduced by the Government last year
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/voluntary+bonding+scheme+doctors+nurses+and+midwives+announced

ENDS

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