The Health workforce plan 2023/24 in review

In launching our next plan, we have evaluated how we went at delivering on our commitments.

Out of the initiatives that we committed to deliver in 2023/2024, we:

• delivered 35 in full
• delivered 25 in part
• did not deliver on 9
• found that 12 need a different approach.

In developing the initiatives in this plan, we learned from last year’s plan. This includes reflecting on the kinds of initiatives which tended to deliver and those which did not.

We delivered some significant achievements.

• Launched New Zealand’s first cardiac sonography programme.
• Enrolled 121 nurse practitioners in the nurse practitioner training programme.
• Expanded the voluntary bonding scheme.
• Engaged 534 Pacific students in the Aniva future nurse leaders programme.
• Scaled to train 239 GP trainees.

Reflecting on the 2023/24 plan and changes to our workforce over the past year, we have more learnings on what works and does not.

Strategies that worked well

• Influencing tertiary education capacity by working together instead of funding or policy change.
• Adjusting operational policies, such as funding for internationally qualified nurses to register here.
• Supporting system policy changes, such as medical school caps and immigration settings.
• Direct contributions to frontline capacity to train and grow our workforce, like investing in new training roles.

Areas we need more time to advance other actions

• Local pilot programs were slow to launch and scale.
• New workforce programs struggled without strong existing partners. While expanding proven initiatives like GP training worked better.
• Large national projects, like the Leadership Institute, progressed slowly due to ongoing organisational changes. But these areas have progressed and show promise so we intend to continue to advance them.

These lessons are shaping the 2024 plan by moving away from less effective approaches used in 2023/24.

Health workforce plan 2023/24 — Quarter 4 reportexternal link