Train five, keep five

Did you know that New Zealand trains up to five neurologists each year, yet funds public hospital roles for only about three?

This means that every year we're losing neurologists because there are not enough funded roles.

Neurologists are a critical part of our healthcare system. They diagnose and care for people with diseases and disorders that affect the nervous system, like stroke. And our current system means that each year, we lose these specialists to private practice or overseas because funded roles are not available.

If you or someone you love has been affected by stroke, you already know what this shortage looks like. Referrals are declined because there are too few neurologists and funded hours. People who need ongoing specialist review are discharged back to general practice after one appointment. Follow-up capacity is far below what is required. This means delayed diagnosis, missed opportunities for earlier treatment, greater reliance on emergency departments, more pressure on general practice, avoidable deterioration, lost independence, and higher long-term costs. And ultimately, more lives are lost.

This election year, we are asking politicians to commit to the Neurological Alliance of New Zealand's campaign: Train Five, Keep Five.

1. Fund two additional public hospital neurology positions each year. This would allow New Zealand to train five and keep five, rather than continuing to lose specialists to private practice or overseas, because funded roles are not available.
2. Commit to a national neurological workforce strategy. New Zealand needs a planned approach to current and future neurological demand, including training, recruitment, retention, regional access, follow-up care and the needs of people living with chronic neurological conditions.

Stroke Aotearoa is one of 20 organisations that make up the Neurological Alliance. Together, we are speaking up for the 1 in 3 New Zealanders affected by a neurological condition, like stroke, and asking all politicians for their commitment to Train Five, Keep Five.

Reach out to your local MP and ask them to commit to the Train Five, Keep Five campaign.

You can click here to see a letter with example wording that you can send to your MP.

You can find the list of all current Members of Parliament here. Click on the name of the MP you wish to contact, and you’ll find their email address on the left side of the page under “Contact Details”.

Alternatively, you can send a letter through Freepost to:

[insert MP name]
Freepost Parliament
Private Bag 18 888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160