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Waikato DHB Denies Approaching Trainee Intern
Thursday May 24, 2007
Waikato DHB Denies Approaching Trainee Intern To Fill Vacancy At Thames Hospital
Waikato DHB health services general manager Jan Adams has denied a trainee intern was offered a medical officer's position at Thames Hospital.
The New Zealand Resident Doctors Association has claimed dire shortages of doctors in the public health system had prompted Thames Hospital to approach students in their last year of training to fill temporary vacancies created by qualified doctors going on leave.
Ms Adams said the DHB would never employ trainee interns because they were not qualified doctors.
DHB chief medical advisor Pim Allen said she was horrified at the claim. "There is no way in a fit of Sundays I would approve of employing a trainee intern in any capacity - let alone as a medical officer," she said.
Ms Adams said the trainee intern had worked a three-month stint at Thames and colleagues, who were impressed at his ability, casually suggested he could provide cover for them while they were on leave. It was not a formal offer from the DHB, she said.
The intern contacted the association to check on what his medico-legal position was.
The association told him he had no medico-legal position and could not accept a job at Thames until he was qualified.
Thames-based board member Sally Christie said the board had shown its commitment to Thames Hospital by investing in a $16.9 million upgrade. The shortage at Thames, and other rural hospitals around New Zealand, was a national issue which needed to be urgently addressed.
"The reality is staff are not moving to hospitals in the rural areas. In the meanwhile we should be doing all we can to support the staff we've got who are doing all they can under trying circumstances."
Ms Adams said Thames, and hospitals like it, were relying on locums to regularly provide cover. "The locum market is quite a lucrative one. The DHB spends a huge amount of time and effort getting doctor coverage for our hospitals. This situation has been forced on us."
ENDS
Waikato District Health Board
Healthy People. Excellent Care
Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.
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