1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,280 Speaker 1: So it's been a big week of health announcements. We've 2 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: got the doctors one, now we've got another one. The 3 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: government's increasing the number of training places for nurse practitioners 4 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 1: specializing in primary care to one hundred and twenty a year. 5 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Is also supporting advanced education for up to one hundred 6 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: and twenty registered nurses. Professor Warwick bag is the Dean 7 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: of Medical and Health Sciences at Orkhan University. He's got 8 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 1: up early for us. Good morning to your Warwick. 9 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 2: Good morning, Andrew. Wonderful news, isn't it? Is it enough? 10 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: Will it make a difference? 11 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 2: Of course it will make a difference, Andrew. The Minister 12 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 2: has touched on all of the important points to improve 13 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 2: the numbers of healthcare workers in New Zealand. He's announced 14 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 2: nurse practitioner training, particularly in primary care. He's upstealing nurses 15 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 2: in rural education. He has supported new locally trained doctors, 16 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 2: and he's also making use of doctors that are already 17 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 2: here or arriving in New Zealand and helping them to 18 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 2: train to become general practitioners. So there's a range of 19 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 2: solutions and the Minister injected money behind each of those solutions, 20 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 2: which is really going to make a difference, some of 21 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 2: those in the very near term, some of those in 22 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 2: the longer term. 23 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: Obviously you appreciate and respect the Health Minister, which is 24 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: of course, Simian Brown, is the war between the Health 25 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 1: Ministry and all the practitioners can to an end. 26 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 2: Well. I think as a university we delighted to be 27 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 2: able to work with the Minister to help with their 28 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 2: education of folks who want to be health professionals to 29 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 2: meet New Zealand's needs. So we're definitely very delighted with 30 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,680 Speaker 2: their announcement and helping the sector get back on its feet. 31 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: And because you're at the university, because you're training these people, 32 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:44,960 Speaker 1: are people coming to you for training? Do we have 33 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: the raw materials that can be formed into a health sector? 34 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 2: Absolutely, Andrew. We've been absolutely delighted by the strength of 35 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 2: all of our applications this year. We are well experienced, 36 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 2: we've got a great track record, and we're really excited 37 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 2: about the way we can do this education and the 38 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 2: cost effective way we can do this education. So this 39 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 2: is really a very good news story and delighted by 40 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 2: the Minister's series of announcements. 41 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: And finally, those people you're going to train are their 42 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: jobs for them at the other end. 43 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 2: So one of the challenges with new nursing graduates, that's 44 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 2: been a particular challenge and something we need to keep 45 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 2: working through and I know that TU New Zealand is 46 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 2: committed to doing that. We seem to have no trouble 47 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 2: in finding places for doctors to work, so that's really 48 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 2: good news and with a focus on general practice, will 49 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 2: really be strengthening that part of the equation. So I 50 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 2: think it's a strong yes to you or answer with 51 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 2: some attention, particularly to those areas around new graduate nurses. 52 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: Well Wareck, thank you so much for your insight today, 53 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: Professor Warwick bag from the University of Auckland. 54 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 2: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live 55 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 2: to News Talks It Be from five am weekdays of 56 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.