“This service will be extremely well received by our rural hospitals who continue to deliver services to rural communities despite work-force shortages.” says Dr Grant Davidson, Chief Executive, Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network
The Rural Hospitals Locum Service (the Service) is a free service to support rural hospitals across Aotearoa New Zealand to recruit, place and retain locum doctors. We are part of Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network, which also provides a medical recruitment service for general practitioners and nurse practitioners through NZLocums & NZMedJobs.
The Service recognizes the specific requirements for rural hospital doctors’ medical registration and credentialling, immigration processes, and the extensive onboarding procedures. Additionally, it acknowledges the significant financial burden of recruiting medical staff locally and internationally.
Locum doctors in New Zealand rural hospitals play a vital role in bridging healthcare gaps and ensuring access to quality medical care. The term ‘locum physician’ is derived from the Latin term locum tenens, which translates to ‘place holder’ in English. As a locum doctor, you are essentially a substitute doctor within a health care setting; you’ll be used when permanent doctors take vacation or sick leave, or if hospitals require extra doctors.
Don’t hesitate to contact our team if you have any questions about working as a locum in a rural hospital in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Ngā mihi nui,
Randal Benito
Kaiārahi Hōhipera ā Taiwhenua, te Ratonga Tākuta Rīwhi
Team Leader – Rural Hospitals Locum Service
In a commissioned report for the Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora in July 2020, Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network reported that the recruitment and retention of medical staff is one the biggest challenges that rural hospitals face daily. Rural hospitals are highly reliant on locum medical staff which requires a large investment of their time and budget to coordinate. Over the four years since the report was completed, rural hospitals have told us that the situation has worsened and the reliance on locum doctors has significantly increased.
In response to the report, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora provided funding for the Network to design and implement the Service to recruit, place, and retain locum doctors in rural hospitals across the country.
The Service is free for rural hospitals and locums, and will:
We introduce domestic and international doctors from our pool of locums to be placed with rural hospitals either through direct engagement or, in limited circumstances, engagement by us as independent contractors on contracts for service.
You can contact us now to learn more about working in rural New Zealand.
For doctors already in New Zealand
Talk to us if you’re interested in becoming a locum at a rural hospital! You can also talk to the Division of Rural Hospital Medicine if you’re interested in specialising in rural health medicine (rnzcgp.org.nz).
For international doctors wanting to work in New Zealand
Below are some helpful links to read through if you’re interested in working in a rural hospital and living in New Zealand:
Orientation
You can also virtually attend our renowned three-day orientation course to get the best introduction to New Zealand’s health system. Held monthly, our orientation course is the first step into the New Zealand health system for international doctors. This course is endorsed by The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) and is approved for up to 17.5 CME credits for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) purposes.
Below is a snapshot of the Rural Hospitals in New Zealand. You can click on each hospital to learn more about them and the services they provide.
Please note some of the rural hospitals may not have open vacancies at present. Please email us if you are interested in learning more about the different rural hospitals and regions in New Zealand.
We’re excited to see you at a conference near you!
Our team will be attending conferences to talk to you about working in rural New Zealand:
