By Judith Martin
Doctors, dentists and nurses within the New Zealand Defence Force are to be offered a revised Conditions of Service package aimed at addressing the challenge of recruiting and retaining quality uniformed health professionals to ensure the NZDF’s operational outputs are met, says Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae.
“At present we have fewer than half the uniformed doctors and dentists we need. Expert health care within the NZDF is vital for us to ensure not only our operational outputs are met, but that we can adequately look after our personnel when they deploy or train,” says LTGEN Mateparae. We have to act now to ensure we have an adequate level of support. We (the NZDF) are competing with the rest of New Zealand and overseas for a scarce resource – the health professional.”
An important part of the new remuneration package is that NZDF doctors and dentists will be paid not by rank, but in line with their professional and advanced clinical skills.
Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps officers will continue to be paid in line with rank and responsibility, with some adjustment flowing to NZDF civilian nurses.
The package includes the reimbursement of work-related expenses, such as the membership fees of professional organisations they are obliged to be members of under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (HPCA). In order to be allowed to practise, some health professionals must belong to certain professional organisations to obtain information relating to their profession.
Most civilian public service health professionals have these paid for by their employer. The new Conditions of Service package also includes the provision of continuing professional development, which is also compulsory under the HPCA. A further benefit to be provided is the opportunity for additional tertiary training related to their profession. Practitioners who elect to undertake additional training will be subject to a return of service.
These provisions will cover all health practitioners.
LTGEN Mateparae said considerable progress had been made in growing personnel numbers, bringing new capabilities on line, and rewarding personnel fairly.
“We are addressing our current remuneration structures so that they recognise and reward the diversity of skills, experience and requirements to deliver the outputs of a modern defence force. The review of our remuneration strategy is underway now.
“My aim is to reward people in a fair and transparent way whilst ensuring this investment is realised in good organisational performance and delivery of outputs. A quality-driven health service will be provided to all our serving personnel in New Zealand and overseas.”
The review to date only addresses conditions for doctors, dentists and RNZC personnel. A review of the Conditions of Service of allied health professionals, including radiographers, laboratory scientists and pharmacists is due next year, as is a review of the conditions under which non-regular health professionals are employed by the NZDF.
Sidebar:
Army doctor Major Graham Wesley loves his job, and says the professional challenges and personal satisfaction it provides are hard to beat.
He acknowledges, however, that while most Defence doctors “probably feel that way”, the disparity between conditions of service for Defence uniformed health practitioners and those in the public sector has always been contentious.
The Conditions of Service package demonstrates Defence is committed to a long tradition of employing uniformed doctors, and the benefits that brings to the organisation.
The package, he says, will encourage doctors to join and stay with the NZDF, and become highly skilled medical professionals.
Based in Burnham, Major Wesley says his job offers variety and a number of challenges. He has completed two tours to East Timor, accompanied weapons inspectors to Iraq in 2002, and has served with the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan last year.
When he is not deployed he is treating service personnel for a range of ailments, or helping prepare personnel for deployment. Professional development is vital, he says. Later this year he will attend a course at the Johannesburg Hospital Trauma Unit to gain experience in dealing with trauma injuries. The course is at a hospital that deals with thousands of stabbings and gunshot wounds each year, and is recognised as one of the best in the world.
“Health professionals everywhere need to keep their clinical skills current, and the NZDF is no exception.”