A warning has been issued to political parties ahead of the November election, with the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners saying workforce shortages and unstable staffing are putting access to healthcare at risk, particularly for Māori, Pacific peoples and rural communities.
In a new white paper released on October 20, titled Workforce Stability as a Foundation for Health Equity, the College is calling on the next Government to prioritise workforce investment, equitable funding and Māori-led health solutions.
The College warns that when general practices struggle to recruit and retain doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, patients face longer waiting times, disrupted treatment and delays in diagnosis.
For communities already experiencing significant barriers to healthcare, those pressures can deepen existing inequalities.
Māori and Rural Communities Face Greatest Risks
The College identifies Māori, Pacific peoples, rural communities and people experiencing socioeconomic deprivation as particularly vulnerable to an unstable primary healthcare workforce.
For whānau, the consequences can include difficulty enrolling with a GP, increased healthcare costs and having to repeatedly explain their medical history to different clinicians.
In some cases, patients may delay seeking treatment until their condition becomes urgent, potentially resulting in avoidable hospital admissions and poorer health outcomes.
The College argues that workforce shortages cannot be addressed through recruitment alone.
Instead, investment must be directed towards communities experiencing the greatest unmet health needs, with funding reflecting ethnicity, rural isolation, socioeconomic circumstances and barriers to accessing services.
Te Tiriti Must Be Central to Workforce Planning
A central recommendation is that future workforce policy must uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi and actively protect Māori health.
The College is calling for Māori-led workforce design, decision-making and leadership, alongside stronger pathways for Māori participation and retention in general practice.
It says workforce strategies should be developed in genuine partnership with Māori, supporting tino rangatiratanga and ensuring healthcare services are culturally safe and responsive.
The paper also warns that excluding ethnicity as a measure of healthcare need risks perpetuating inequalities for Māori and Pacific communities.
The College says a stable workforce is essential for building trusted relationships between healthcare providers and whānau, but stability alone does not guarantee culturally safe care.
That also requires investment in education, leadership, organisational capability and accountability.
Free GP Visits Mean Little Without Enough Doctors
The white paper raises an important challenge for political parties promising to expand access to free or subsidised GP appointments.
The College warns that widening eligibility for free GP visits must be matched by sufficient workforce capacity.
Without enough doctors, nurses and support staff, making appointments more affordable will not necessarily make them more accessible.
The paper calls for funding that recognises the real cost of delivering healthcare in communities where demand is high and practices already face recruitment difficulties.
It also recommends targeted investment in rural training, recruitment and retention, recognising that communities with limited alternative healthcare services face particular challenges when local practices lose staff.
Six Priorities for the Next Government
The College is calling for a coordinated approach built around six priorities:
- Direct workforce and funding support towards communities with the greatest unmet healthcare needs.
- Ensure funding reflects ethnicity, rurality, socioeconomic disadvantage and access barriers.
- Uphold Te Tiriti through Māori-led workforce planning, leadership and retention.
- Develop Pacific workforce solutions alongside Pacific communities.
- Invest in rural healthcare training, recruitment and retention.
- Strengthen the education, leadership and accountability needed to deliver continuous, culturally safe care.
The recommendations form part of a wider series of election-focused white papers outlining the College’s priorities for general practice and rural hospital medicine.
Health Equity Must Start at the Front Door
The College’s central argument is that general practice plays a critical role in preventing illness, managing chronic conditions and reducing pressure on hospitals.
When whānau cannot access timely primary healthcare, opportunities for early intervention can be lost.
For Māori communities, the College says achieving better outcomes requires more than simply increasing the number of healthcare professionals.
It requires sustained investment in Māori leadership, culturally responsive services, trusted relationships and funding models that recognise where healthcare needs are greatest.
With Aotearoa heading towards the November 7 general election, the white paper places workforce stability and health equity firmly on the political agenda.
The College’s message to the next Government is that improving access to healthcare will require not only more staff, but the right investment, leadership and support in the communities that need it most.
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