New Zealand rural primary health care workforce in 2005: More than just a doctor shortage

Objective: To obtain a 2005 snapshot of New Zealand (NZ) rural primary health care workforce, specifically GPs, general practice nurses and community pharmacists. Design: Postal questionnaires, November 2005. Setting: NZ‐wide rural general practices and community pharmacies. Participants: Rural general practice managers, GPs, nurses, community pharmacy managers and pharmacists. Main outcome measures: Self‐reported data: demographics, country of training, years in practice, business ownership, hours worked including on‐call, intention to leave rural practice. Results: General practices: response rate 95% (206/217); 70% GP‐owned, practice size ranged from one GP/one nurse to 12 GPs/nine nurses. Pharmacies: Response rate 90% (147/163). Majority had one (33%) or two (32%) pharmacists; <10% had more than three pharmacists. GPs: response rate 64% (358/559), 71% male, 73% aged >40, 61% full‐time, 79% provide on‐call, 57% overseas‐trained, 78% male and 57% female GPs aged >40; more full‐time male GPs (76%) than female (37%) . Nurses: response rate 65% (445/685), 97% female, 72% aged >40, 31% full‐time, 28% provide on‐call, 84% NZ‐trained, 45% consulted independently in ‘nurse‐clinics’ within practice setting. Pharmacists: response rate 96% (248/258), 52% male, 66% aged >40, 71% full‐time, 33% provide on‐call, 92% NZ‐trained, 55% sole/partner pharmacy owners. Many intend to leave NZ rural practice within 5 years: GPs (34%), nurses (25%) and pharmacists (47%).Conclusion: This is the first NZ‐wide rural workforce survey to include a range of rural primary health care providers (GPs, nurses and pharmacists). Ageing rural primary health care workforce and intentions to leave herald worsening workforce shortages.