Kia ora koutou, rau rangatira mā.

We are pleased to announce the launch of our data dashboard which is now publicly available to view on the Council’s website. This dashboard provides a comprehensive and dynamic overview of registered and practising doctors in Aotearoa New Zealand. It includes key data and trends over time, providing essential insights designed to inform employers, policymakers, medical educators, researchers, and the public. Through a user-friendly interface, users can explore crucial data, trends, and historical patterns, offering a deeper understanding of the medical workforce.

The dashboard will be expanded over time to include a greater breadth of information. It will also be updated quarterly to ensure the most up-to-date information is available.

The data dashboard offers numerous functionalities, allowing users to:
Explore current and historical trends - Providing insights into shifts and patterns within the medical workforce over time.
Analyse quantity and characteristics - A comprehensive overview of registered and practising doctors, including demographics.
Identify shifts - Demonstrating emerging trends within the medical workforce.

For example, see the following snapshots:

📉 Registered doctors - snapshot | Medical Council (mcnz.org.nz)
📉 Registered doctors - trends | Medical Council (mcnz.org.nz)
📉 New doctor registrations
📉 Vocational
📉 NZREX

📉 See the full dashboard

Providing care to yourself and those close to you

Council’s Deputy Registrar, Emma Kennedy, recently attended the GP23 conference and presented some of the findings of our recent research. This included a discussion of two of the standards that our research indicated that doctors are least familiar with - the Council's statements on Good Prescribing Practice and the Statement on Cultural Safety.

Emma also discussed the Council’s Statement Providing care to yourself and those close to you, outlining the reasons why doctors need to avoid treating or prescribing medication for themselves or those close to them.

These reasons include:
the potential compromise of clinical objectivity
the importance of accuracy and completeness of the patient’s clinical records
the potential interruption of continuity of care
the potential compromise of patient confidentiality
the increased risk of trivialising or overtreating.

The Statement on Providing care to yourself and those close to you is currently under review and we will be consulting on it later this year. Areas of focus for us are around the challenges for those who live in rural or isolated communities and how that may impact on the standards in this statement.

Our website serves as a valuable resource, offering easy access to the Council's standards. These guidelines outline the principles and values that define good medical practice, setting clear expectations for all aspects of professional behaviour.

He mihi māhana

Joan Simeon
Manukura | Chief Executive Officer

August edition