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The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners says the number of Māori and Pasifika GPs is too low.
The college’s latest workforce survey found GPs identifying as Māori made up just four per cent of respondents, even though Māori make up out 17 per cent of the total population.
Dr Rachel Mackie, who chairs the college’s Te Akoranga a Māori GP group, says that points to the long-standing disadvantage and injustice that New Zealand society and systems have placed on Māori.
She says there needs to be support for policies that encourage more Māori students into medical school programmes.
The college is also enabling all GPs to increase their cultural competency and understand tikanga, cultural safety, whānau and iwi, and how best to support the communities and their health needs.
The workforce survey also highlighted the risk of burnout among GPs and rural hospital doctors, with almost a third of doctors saying they felt close to burnout.
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