44273 (2025). Debbie Ngarewa-Packer to the Minister of Health

44273 (2025). Debbie Ngarewa-Packer to the Minister of Health: Does the Minister agree with GenPro Chair Dr Angus Chambers that the telehealth service "is worsening the shortage of GPs in clinics", if not, what actions, if any, is the Government taking to address the GP shortage?

Hon Simeon Brown: I agree that New Zealand needs more GPs and that is why our Government has delivered the largest ever funding boost for GP clinics and has also invested significantly in growing the GP workforce, including: • Supporting 50 domestic medical graduates into primary care placements. • Helping 100 overseas-trained doctors enter practice through a dedicated training pathway. • Increasing support for GP training. • Expanding the number of medical students at the University of Auckland and University of Otago. • Approving the establishment of the new Waikato medical school. As the Member will be aware, as part of our focus on putting patients first and ensuring all New Zealanders have access to timely, quality healthcare, our Online GP Care service was set up to complement, not compete with, GP clinics. The service is about making sure Kiwis can get the medical help they need when they need it, especially when they can’t get a timely appointment with their regular GP, or outside normal clinic hours.