Medical school still poised for green light

The University of Waikato’s hopes of having a third medical school still have a heartbeat after National put it on their 100day action plan.

The long-touted med school focusing on rural medical needs was resurrected during National’s election campaign, saying a third medical school was required to boost doctor numbers.

That, along with adding 50 training places across Auckland and Otago’s schools, would mean an extra 220 doctors graduating each year by 2030.

However, ACT had questioned if money was better spent funding the current schools.

The university now has to provide a more up to date business case - which vice-chancellor Neil Quigley has been organising in Wellington this week.

The initial proposal has capital costs to set up the Waikato med school to be about $380m, with the Crown contributing up to $280 million - pending a final business case and Waikato University raising the remaining $100 million.

Quigley said it’s important National has put it on their 100-day plan.

“It's not a question of trying to influence anyone any more. It's just a question of working out what we're going to do and how quickly we can do it.”

In 2016, Waikato University and the then Waikato District Health Board announced a joint bid to establish the country’s third med school to meet a shortage of GPS.

National committed to plans to create a school of rural medicine ahead of the 2017 and 2020 general elections, but Labour never backed the idea.

The new medical school aims to deliver more doctors to rural areas by having clinical training alliances with other universities and medical facilities in regional New Zealand.

The country has seen a critical shortage of doctors, with long wait times at GPS, and emergency departments around New Zealand.

“We're moving forward our plans for the medical school, working with the Ministry of Health on a business case, that of course, was needed to be updated from what we first proposed ... back in 2017.”

Quigley said the business case needs to quantify the investment that’s required across different categories.

“So, mostly it's a question of looking at the benefits that arise, from training more doctors and training the sort of doctors that we're proposing to train, and the impact on the health system as a whole.”

He hasn’t spoken to Christopher Luxon since becoming Prime Minister; he's in conversation both with Reti and also officials in ministries in Wellington.

“I'm feeling confident that the business case will show the really substantial positive benefits that the country will get from having a third medical school.

“And I'm confident that there's a wide range of support, both political and in other areas to move forward with the school.”

He hasn’t spoken with New Zealand First ORACT.

“It's not my role to get involved in the coalition sort of management issues. My contact is with Dr Reti as the minister.”

Quigley is hopeful the business case won’t take long to complete which shouldn’t push the initial time frames out.

“I am hopeful that we're still looking at our first intake of students in 2027.”

He isn’t ready to contemplate what happens if the school isn’t approved.

“Let's just see what happens. I think there's a very strong perception around the country that we need to train more doctors and that a third medical school with a different model is required ... So we'll just keep working on it until we find a path.”

Earlier this week Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti said the medical school is an absolute priority for this Government.

“To develop the homegrown culturally competent doctors and nurses New Zealand desperately needs, wherever they’re trained.

“As far as Waikato is concerned, it’s had a particular rural focus, which is where we've certainly got a real dearth of GPS. But this is taxpayer money we're talking about so it’s not at all unreasonable, in fact it’s essential, to have an effective, up to date business case.”