The Government has approved a business case and $83m in funding for a new Waikato University medical school, as part of a plan to strengthen the health workforce.
The New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine will receive more than $150 million from the university — supported by philanthropy — according to the Government, bringing total funding to more than $200 million.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the third medical school for New Zealand would not just be a “significant investment” for the health system but for Hamilton and the Waikato region.
“New Zealand simply isn’t training enough doctors to meet the future needs of our growing aging population or to replace those doctors retiring, and that has to change.”
The new school was a “practical step” to change that by boosting the medical workforce, creating new educational opportunities in the Waikato and helping deliver better care closer to home, he said.
“It’s certainly a big win for the future of our health workforce; it’s a big win for the Waikato; and, most importantly, for patients.”
Health Minister Simeon Brown said the school would focus on primary care and rural health.
“Today’s decision will enable the University of Waikato to begin construction on new teaching facilities later this year and start planning for clinical placements, while giving more students the opportunity to study medicine in New Zealand,” he said.
Experts have warned that the initial proposal for the facility was likely to be unaffordable. (Source: 1News)
The medical school would add 120 doctor training places annually from 2028, offering a graduate-entry programme “providing a flexible new pathway into medicine that helps attract a broader range of students and build a stronger, more diverse workforce”.
“It’s an innovative model that supports our focus on strengthening primary care, making it easier for people to see their doctor, helping Kiwis stay well and out of hospital.”
The Government approved precisely $82.85 million in direct funding for the project.
Brown’s office said a full cost-benefit analysis was presented to Cabinet before any proposal was finalised. ACT had negotiated for the analysis to be completed before any binding funding decision could be approved, in its coalition agreement with National.
Universities Minister Shane Reti said the funding decision represented a “real boost for tertiary education in the Waikato”.
“By expanding access to medical training, we’re creating new opportunities for students from across the region and beyond, while also helping to future-proof the local workforce,” he said.
“This is exactly the kind of forward-thinking initiative this Government wants to see from our universities – investing in regional growth, building local capability, and delivering on the needs of rural communities.”
The Health Minister added the new places were “on top of the 100 additional medical training places that are being added over the term of this Government across the University of Auckland and University of Otago”.
Auckland and Otago universities had previously offered to train more medical students if that could be supported by the Government.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Health Sciences at Otago, Associate Professor Megan Gibbons, acknowledged today’s announcement of a third medical school as part of the Government’s strategy to address New Zealand’s healthcare workforce needs.
“We are disappointed that Government did not follow the alternative and more cost-effective option of further increasing the intakes into the country’s existing medical schools,” she said.
“However, any investment that supports growing and sustaining the health workforce is a step toward strengthening care for our communities — particularly in rural and underserved regions.”
Four-year programme to begin in 2028, first graduates by 2032
University of Waikato vice-chancellor Professor Neil Quigley called the announcement a “landmark moment” for New Zealand.
“We will be offering a programme that selects and trains doctors in a fundamentally different way and will complement New Zealand’s two existing medical schools.
“It will be designed to produce more graduates who choose to become GPs and who want to work in regional and rural communities.”
Quigley said the four-year programme would begin in 2028, with first cohort graduating and entering the workforce in 2032.
Pro vice-chancellor of health Professor Jo Lane said the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine curriculum would train “the doctors New Zealand needs”.
“Our curriculum will prioritise clinical placements in regional and rural health settings, allowing graduates to experience working with diverse populations while building deep connections in the communities they serve.”