Source: New Zealand Government
Family doctors and nurses across Auckland and Northland will find it much easier to get the training they need, with a new workforce hub opened today in Auckland, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
“We are putting patients first by backing the frontline workers who look after them. Better trained GPs and nurses mean shorter waits, more care closer to home, and fewer trips to the emergency department,” Mr Brown says.
Backed by Health New Zealand’s $5.5 million investment in four hubs across the country, it is one place where GPs, nurses, and trainees can find the courses, placements, and support on offer, instead of having to hunt around for them.
The hub, and the wider investment behind it, will cover more than 400 GP clinics from Northland down through Auckland. Its training pathways will enable:
GPs to do more minor procedures at the clinic, including checking and removing suspicious moles
Nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other health providers to deliver enhanced services
Junior doctors and graduate nurses to choose primary care as a career
GPs to carry out tests for signs of bowel cancer
“One of the first things it will pay for is training that lets GPs do more small procedures at the clinic, such as checking and removing suspicious moles. Almost 220 GPs are expected to get that training, including 18 who work in rural areas through this hub.
“Right now, someone with a worrying mole can wait months for a hospital appointment. If their own GP can take care of it, that is one less worry, one less trip, and one less person on a hospital waiting list.
“We are focused on fixing the basics and building the future of our healthcare system. Upskilling the doctors and nurses who look after all of us is a big part of that,” Mr Brown says.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/10/new-workforce-hub-to-strengthen-gp-care/