Workforce Hub Northern Region launches to strengthen primary care workforce
A new regional Workforce Hub designed to simplify workforce development, expand training opportunities and strengthen primary and community care across the Northern Region was officially launched yesterday by Health Minister Hon Simeon Brown.
Delivered by ProCare and Total Healthcare on behalf of all 11 Primary Health Organisations (PHOs) across Te Tai Tokerau and Tāmaki Makaurau, the Workforce Hub – Northern Region provides a single, co-ordinated point of access for workforce development across primary care.
The Workforce Hub supports more than 400 general practices and a wide range of primary and community care providers, helping connect healthcare professionals with training, placements and funding opportunities while reducing complexity for busy practices.
Danny Wu, Regional Planning, Funding & Outcomes Director for the Northern Region said the Workforce Hub would help strengthen New Zealand's health workforce and improve access to care closer to home.
"Improving access to timely care and building a workforce that can meet patient demand is imperative to the future of primary care. The Workforce Hub – Northern Region is an important step towards creating stronger workforce pathways and supporting more services to be delivered closer to where people live. It is also a practical example of how we can make training, development and career pathways easier to access, while supporting more care to be delivered in the community."
The Workforce Hub has been established with Health New Zealand funding as one of four regional workforce development hubs across the country.
Initially, it will support programmes including Community-Based Attachments for junior doctors, training and support for graduate nurses entering primary care, planned care training, PRIME training (primary response in a medical emergency), cyber risk education and other workforce development initiatives.
Mark Vella, Chief Executive at Total Healthcare said the Workforce Hub's goal was simple: make workforce development easier for practices and practitioners while ensuring investment is directed where it can have the greatest impact.
"There is no shortage of commitment to growing the primary care workforce, but navigating training pathways, funding streams and placement opportunities can be complicated. The Workforce Hub brings these together in one place, making it easier for practices and providers to access the support available to them.
"By reducing administrative barriers and providing a coordinated regional approach, we're making it easier for practices to participate in training, easier for clinicians to develop their careers in primary care and ultimately helping communities access the care they need. When we remove complexity from the system, everyone benefits, from learners and trainers through to the patients they serve,” continues Vella.
Bindi Norwell, Group Chief Executive at ProCare, said the Workforce Hub was an investment not only in today's workforce, but in the future sustainability of primary and community care.
"Every healthcare professional deserves a clear pathway into and through primary care. By connecting people with opportunities and removing unnecessary complexity, the Workforce Hub will help create a workforce that is not only larger, but better supported, better connected and more likely to stay in primary care for the long term.
"This initiative is about much more than training programmes and funding. It's about building a stronger workforce pipeline, supporting career development at every stage, and ensuring primary care remains an attractive and rewarding career choice. Ultimately, that means better access to care, more services delivered closer to home, and healthier communities across the Northern Region," concludes Norwell.
The Workforce Hub will co-ordinate support across four key areas:
Practice-based placements
Expanding clinical scope and capability
Skills development within existing roles
Training pathways into new roles.
The Workforce Hub's long-term vision is to create a stronger, more sustainable primary and community care workforce by improving access to training, supporting career development and helping workforce investment deliver better outcomes for communities across the Northern Region.
ENDS
For more information please visit www.workforcehub.co.nz and for photography or media interviews please contact Dee Crooks on 022 0310 380 / dee.crooks@procare.co.nz or Katrina Matthews on 027 552 1604 / katrina.matthews@tamakihealth.co.nz