Registrations of interest for the 2014 Voluntary Bonding Scheme have formally opened today announced Health Minister Tony Ryall.

“The Voluntary Bonding Scheme gives communities and specialties that face difficulties recruiting and retaining health professionals the chance to gain some of our best and brightest graduates. It also allows these new graduates to apply their training in new environments,” says Mr Ryall.

This year additional hard-to-staff communities and specialties have been introduced for doctors, nurses and midwives.

“For doctors, the 2014 intake includes a revised list of hard-to-staff communities for GP trainees, and new specialty areas like emergency medicine and obstetrics and gynaecology,” says Mr Ryall.

“For nurses, the West Coast and South Canterbury are included as hard-to-staff communities, with the addition of primary healthcare as a hard-to-staff specialty.

“For midwives, additional hard-to-staff communities include Capital and Coast DHB, Tairawhiti DHB and specific communities within the Waikato and Canterbury regions,” says Mr Ryall.

The scheme works by encouraging doctors, nurses and midwives to start their careers in hard-to-staff communities and specialties by offering payments to their student loans after a three to five year bonded period.

Radiation Therapists and Medical Physicists simply have to work in New Zealand for three to five years upon completion of their qualifications. Those without a student loan are also eligible for the scheme.

“There are currently 2688 participants on the scheme, and these health professionals are making a significant contribution to their areas,” says Mr Ryall.

“The government recognises the importance of improving access to health services in vulnerable communities and isolated areas. The success of the scheme so far has proven that health professionals are going where they are needed most,” says Mr Ryall.

Registrations of interest for this year’s intake are open for new GP trainees, graduate doctors, nurses, midwives, radiation therapists and medicalphysicists until 5pm on Friday 14 March.

More information and a full list of registration forms are available at:http://www.healthworkforce.govt.nz/our-work/voluntary-bonding-scheme

Media contact: Bill de la Mare 021 924 331