Rural New Zealand is 151 GPs short as retirements loom
The rural training hubs being rolled out are a partial coordinator role, not the workforce pipeline rural health needs.
|November 4, 2026Listen to the full interview:
Rural New Zealand is 151 GPs short, and another 35% of GPs are set to retire within five years.
Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network chair Dr Fiona Bolden says the rural training hubs being rolled out are not what was intended. “What has been rolled out is just a partial coordinator role,” she says.
She says the hubs were meant to coordinate placements, accommodation and research for the whole rural health team, but haven’t been consulted on widely enough.
“It’s almost like it needs to be undone and restarted with proper consultation mechanisms.”
She says 900,000 people live in rural areas, yet only 2% of GPs work in the most rural areas.
“Telehealth, whilst it’s useful, it’s no substitute for actually having somebody on the ground.”
To learn more, visit htrhn.org.nz
Watch the full interview:
CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.
