United Future
Judy Turner

Medical student debt shrinks GP pool by 8%

In tackling Education Minister David Benson-Pope, she said it was now being consistently reported that young doctorsí debt levels are leading to them avoiding general practice and poorer paying specialties such as psychiatry.

"And the result is an eight percent shrinkage in the nationís pool of general practitioners since 1992. The numbers are down from 2917 to 2594 - thatís 320 doctors not there.

"I challenge the Government to tell us who benefits from that?" Mrs Turner said. "It certainly isnít the medical graduate wanting a full range of career options; itís not the profession which is under pressure, and it certainly isnít average New Zealander with fewer GPs to meet their needs.

"Unfortunately the Government is refusing to hear, let alone, address this matter," she said.

United Future education spokesman Bernie Ogilvy also challenged Mr Benson-Pope to reconcile his previous statements minimising the impact student debt has on medical graduates heading overseas in light of a Medical Association study showing 48 percent of them left specifically because of their debt levels.