Health funding boosted
PA Wellington The Government will inject $1 million immediately to remedy staff shortages in key areas of the health service. A quick aid scheme — the Health Workforce Development Fund — was announced yesterday by the Minister of Health, Dr Bassett.
The intention was to pinppint critical areas of the
health workforce which, for one reason or another, required immediate funds on top of those usually available, Dr Bassett said.
The $1 million for spending this financial year will be boosted to $3 million in 1986-87, and then to $5 million each year. The money will be spent next year on training 80 comprehensive nurses, creating courses in both advanced physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and sending hearing specialists to study in Australia.
Dr Bassett said that from February, the 80 places in technical institutes had been approved for: Waiariki Community College, 32; Hawke’s Bay Community
College, Taranaki Technical Institute and Nelson Polytechnic, 16 each.
“These are additional to the 150 positions approved by the Cabinet for 1986 and announced in July,” he said. “Boosting numbers of comprehensive nurses is a concrete step towards improving the nursing situation in the longer term. Right now, successes in overseas recruitment and the extremely generous pay settlement should be making the nursing picture a brighter one.”
The initiative was in line with recommendations of the Nursing Manpower Planning Report, and would help bring student numbers and workforce requirements
“into balance,” said Dr Bassett.
Under the scheme, six New Zealand audiologists will take the Melbourne University Diploma in Audiology course next year.
Funds have also been earmarked to provide 10 places for advanced education in physiotherapy on the Auckland Technical Institute course. An advanced course in occupational therapy will be established at the Central Institute of Technology. Dr Bassett said funds would be allocated to increase numbers in training to overcome projected shortages in geriatric medicine, ophthalmology, audiology, dermatology, ENT surgery, oncology, pyschiatry and critical care.
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Press, 27 December 1985, Page 4
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322Health funding boosted Press, 27 December 1985, Page 4
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