Open up the Health Immigration Service across the healthcare system

The newly launched Health immigration Service states that it will be available to existing staff of Te Whatu Ora, new employees and later, those in mixed funded services.

My suggestion is that the Service is extended to include the whole of the health care system - specifically focusing on community providers where it is already identified there are significant staff shortages which are impacting on care to our communities - eg Aged resudential care and primary care

I am concerned that despite the Te Whatu Ora acknowledgement of staffing issues across the whole of the sector  there is a deliberate approach to support recruitment to Te Whatu Ora positions which will undermine recruitment to community providers.  The resourcing and profile this will receive internationally will be far in XS of anything that can be achieved by community providers and will further contribute to the workforce deficit in community providers.