In this issue, among the things we look at are a proposed plan by Health Workforce New Zealand to establish a single secretariat for all health regulatory authorities and what it could mean for the Council. We also examine proposed changes to Prevocational training and a draft curriculum framework that we will be consulting on in early 2013. Another issue, we offer advice on, is what to do when you have concerns about a colleague.

If you have any comments or feedback on any of the articles in this newsletter, we would be pleased to receive them at ppigou@mcnz.org.nz or gsymmes@mcnz.org.nz

With best wishes,

Philip Pigou
Chief Executive Officer
Medical Council of New Zealand

Health Workforce New Zealand (HWNZ) began consulting early last year about a single secretariat for all health regulatory authorities.

The ultimate shape of any such secretariat has since been the subject of plenty of work, but remains unclear.

We are on the brink of changes in the way our new doctors are trained. Last year we received an excellent response to our discussion document ‘Prevocational training requirements for doctors in New Zealand: a discussion paper on options for an enhanced training framework’ and this feedback has informed the work we are now proceeding with.

I think we all agree about the importance of the prevocational years (PGY1 and PGY2) that bridge the gap between medical school and vocational training. During this time doctors further learn, develop and demonstrate clinical and professional skills, under supervision and through exposure to differing clinical settings.

• Was there a one-off incident that concerns you, or does there appear to be a pattern of poor performance emerging? For example, has the doctor failed to prescribe properly on one occasion in the last 3 months, or on four separate occasions?
• Have you talked to the doctor about your concerns?
• Was it a one-off incident or a serious departure from accepted medical practise? Did the doctor have an acceptable explanation for this departure?
• Has there recently been a change in the doctor’s behaviour or ability? If so, you may want to consider the possibility of a health issue impacting on the doctor’s ability to perform. Read more about health concerns.

We are running two training days in September for supervisors of international medical graduates (IMGs). The training days form part of our ongoing work to support supervisors of IMGs in their work and offer the chance to network and share ideas with colleagues who work in both primary care and DHB environments.

Drs Susan Hawken and Richard Fox from Connect Communications (http://connectcomm.co.nz/) will be providing the training for us. Council staff will also be in attendance.