Waikato medical school passes its first government test

Monday, 30 September 2024

City leaders are hailing a significant milestone in the region’s quest to establish the country’s third medical school in Waikato.

The Government at the weekend gave the project a green light when it announced that an initial cost-benefit analysis to establish a third medical school based at the University of Waikato had been completed and had been found to provide confidence for the project to progress to a full business case.

Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate said it’s “excellent news for Hamilton and the wider region”. She hoped progress would be fast now that Waikato University’s medical school plan has passed the Government’s initial test.

“The door is open now, and we’ve got to set up for success,” she said.

Southgate said it’s something that has been talked about for a while and a new med school will be a “huge win” for Waikato.

“It will enable us to upskill a whole bunch of new people into primary health across the Waikato. And we need that. We really do need that.”

The university welcomed the announcement to take the proposed medical school to the next stage.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley said in a statement that the graduate entry medical school will provide a new model of medical education for New Zealand, and he is confident that the proposed programme will address the chronic shortage of primary care doctors.

The University currently offers a graduate programme for nursing and it plans to offer a graduate programme in pharmacy and midwifery from 2025.

Quigley said the University of Waikato is well-placed to deliver a new medical school and it has widespread stakeholder support to do so.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the Government on the processes required to facilitate the medical school.”

Hamilton West MP Tama Potaka said the announcement is “tino pai”, meaning very good.

Potaka said he is particularly motivated by the health needs of rural communities like those in Rangitikei and Ruapehu where he grew up.

“So to know that this is progressing with some momentum is very comforting.”

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the university and the Ministry of Health in February, which outlined the steps required, including a cost-benefit analysis and a full business case, before the government decides whether to give a green light to the school.

The Memorandum of Understanding agreed that the medical school should focus on training GPs and rural doctors, provide a graduate degree, and aim for an initial intake of 120 students for the academic year beginning January 2027.

Health Minister Dr Shane Reti said in the statement that the cost-benefit analysis is encouraging, but a significant amount of material is yet to be considered and assumptions to be tested around the project.

“A detailed business case, in addition to the full CBA (cost-benefit analysis), is the appropriate vehicle to answer these questions.”

He expects the Ministry of Health to continue to lead the process while working closely with the university.

“Any further announcements can be expected following completion of the business case.”

Funds have been set aside in Budget 2024 for a business case, with $2.575 million funded from the Ministry of Health’s baselines.

Southgate said she hopes the business case will highlight the economic benefit the school will have on Waikato and Hamilton, as well as the need for New Zealand to upskill more people for growing populations.

“I stand ready to assist the university and other partners in getting the job done.”

Meanwhile, Potaka said the region needs to continue to support progress.

“The investment of time and effort and energy by not only the university, but by regional organisations and businesses will demonstrate that there’s a collated effort towards creating this opportunity to be considered by the Government.”

Reti said existing medical schools at the University of Auckland and the University of Otago are “top quality” and both benefited from increased admissions, but provincial and rural communities could be hit hard by primary care shortages as many GPs are planning to retire in the next 10 years.

“I would expect the proposed third medical school to have a focus on primary care. We will take time to consider the needs of rural areas. The model proposed is a four year graduate entry programme focused on rural and primary and community care,” Reti said.

The Waikato Times first launched a campaign for the med school in 2016, and the proposal now before the Government has since gained high-powered support.

Medical director of the College of GPs, Luke Bradford, said the argument seems strong that the Waikato med school proposal would increase rural GP numbers.

The College has described general practice as a workforce in crisis, and the Waikato bid comes amid a New Zealand GP shortfall estimated at 485, a figure that is set to grow.

And Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network chair Fiona Bolden said if the school is properly resourced and coordinated, it wouldn’t be just Waikato that benefits.

She said the Waikato med school had been built on successful overseas models aimed at boosting rural primary care.