Pollock Scheme Reflects Huge Stresses Facing GPs

20 August 2002

Pollock Scheme Reflects Huge Stresses Facing All GPs

The innovative initiative of North Shore GP John Pollock in setting up a virtual private health insurance scheme for his patients highlights the problems facing GPs across the whole sector.

“Dr Pollock has conducted his own strategic review of where he was heading and is moving to change,” said Dr Helen Rodenburg, President of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.

“It’s a reflection of the huge stresses facing all our members,” Dr Rodenburg said, “with the pressures of change becoming constant.”

College CEO Claire Austin said GP recruitment and retention, morale, equity of access to quality patient care and the increasing workloads facing GPs in both rural and urban practices are key issues.

“Only the goodwill of the sector, of our GPs has kept the system afloat until now.”

Faced with economic and workload pressures, added to the requirement of maintaining their professional standards through continuing medical education, some doctors have chosen to step away from general practice. Dr Pollock has thought deeply about his options, about his environment, and produced this plan.

The College believes appropriate funding of the whole sector will allow GPs to provide timely access to the whole range of important, quality GP services to all patients throughout their lives.

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