Health Minister Dr David Clark

A stand-alone Health Workforce Directorate (HWD) has recently been created to help strengthen the health workforce, Health Minister Dr David Clark said.

“The HWD extends the government’s capability and capacity on health workforce issues and can refresh the approach to workforce strategy and planning by clarifying the respective roles and functions of Health Workforce New Zealand (HWNZ), DHBs and the ministry,” he said. “This also provides an opportunity to refresh the membership and role of the HWNZ board by updating the terms of reference with a move toward a stronger strategic governance role, with the ministry leading on delivery of health workforce strategy, planning, analysis and forecasting, and commissioning.”

Dr Clark said he had accepted HWNZ executive chair, Professor Des Gorman’s resignation and he had written to other board members informing them of his intentions.

“As part of the transition process, the ministry is identifying a small interim external advisory group to support the transition to the new arrangements and advise on the new HWNZ terms of reference.”

A new chair, board members and updated terms of reference is expected to be announced in April, he said. “Looking further ahead, I want to ensure health workforce strategy and planning in New Zealand supports a stronger publicly-funded health care system, so I will ask the Health and Disability Health Sector Review to consider future health workforce options as part of its work.”