[Joolzr]

Hi All

We're trying to get OH registered as a locum doctor by the NZ medical council so he can start a job in June. The website says this should take 20 working days, but they have had our info since the April- although it was signed for on this date, they 'lost it' and didn't acknowldge its reciept til May.

We've been promised our registration 'in a few day' for two weeks and the hospital are also chasing them. But nothing. They have never contacted us, unless we have contacted them first, and then get annoyed when we do...

We've both finished our jobs and are due to move out of the house really soon so have hit crunch point. We're wondering whether to give up, go to Australia instead, go to Burma and help out or move wherever OH can get a job in the UK. All of which are rather depressing as we have missed out on good opportuniies here over the last few weeks.

Does anyone have any experince of the medical council? I feel like we are at the mercy of the person dealing with OH's application and she has been 'unprofessional' to put it mildly. If anyone else has had this problem- how did you solve it?

JoolzR

[Joolzr]

Hi All

We're trying to get OH registered as a locum doctor by the NZ medical council so he can start a job in June. The website says this should take 20 working days, but they have had our info since Marchl- although it was signed for on this date, they 'lost it' and didn't acknowldge its reciept til April.

We've been promised our registration 'in a few day' for two weeks and the hospital are also chasing them. But nothing. They have never contacted us, unless we have contacted them first, and then get annoyed when we do...

We've both finished our jobs and are due to move out of the house really soon so have hit crunch point. We're wondering whether to give up, go to Australia instead, go to Burma and help out or move wherever OH can get a job in the UK. All of which are rather depressing as we have missed out on good opportuniies here over the last few weeks.

Does anyone have any experince of the medical council? I feel like we are at the mercy of the person dealing with OH's application and she has been 'unprofessional' to put it mildly. If anyone else has had this problem- how did you solve it?

JoolzR

whoops, got my months wrong. the stress is getting o me :-(

[catt]

i would e.mail them and tell them what your saying here ......... they wont want to lose doctors so i feel they would pull their fingers out to keep you.

good luck :cheers

[jodel]

Hi,

I got my registration as a medical doctor in April - it wasn't either processed within 20 days, but I kept calling the office administrator every day during one week - and got the letter ;-).

Just find out who's in charge of your application and get in touch - they are very nice, but busy.

Good luck!

jodel

[Joolzr]

Thanks Jodel. It finally came through tonight. Although our officer repsonded very badly to any communication and rarely answered the phone....


JoolzR

[BlueDevil]

I found them to be mildly unpleasant, but not nearly as bad as in the US state medical councils - especially North Carolina. They are not very focused on the lack of doctors; they don't get rewarded for bringing more in, they just get penalized if a bad one comes through. Over the past few years they had 2-3 cases - that I have heard of - of docs who came through and caused problems, so they are quite defensive.

If its any consolation, the district health board recruiter couldn't even get through to them on the phone the past few days....

There is a shortage of doctors here, but it is relative; and it is in a public system where the general population has little sense of entitlement or sense of control over their care. CABG's are taking as long as 64 days!!! in one recent NZ Herald report.

A Sr Anesthestist at Greymouth Hosp just lodged a report about the lack of safety because of so many locums. And the nation just went through its second 2 day jr doctor (resident/registrar/house officer) strike - although there was no huge impact, it obviously resulted in the cancellation of elective surgeries and clinic appts.

Good luck,

Chris