Latest news with #University of Waikato
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
New medical school at University of Waikato boasts better cost-benefit ratio, case shows
University of Waikato. Photo: Supplied / Google Maps A new medical school at the University of Waikato has been found to have a better cost-benefit ratio than other options, although only slightly. The business case for the new school has been released, which said it would have lower operating costs than other options, and would produce a higher proportion of graduates going on to become GPs. The University of Auckland has raised concerns over some of the business case's assumptions, but the health minister insists the new school was the most effective proposal at building New Zealand's "critical" health workforce. Last week, the government confirmed it would move ahead with the Waikato school, and was confident it presented the best value for money. From 2028, students will be able to start at the four-year graduate entry programme, which is intended to boost the country's rural GP workforce. National had campaigned on establishing the school at the 2023 election, but a [ full cost-benefit analysis was required as a condition of its coalition agreement with ACT. The Ministry of Health dumped a series of documents on Friday evening, including various Cabinet papers and minutes, the cost-benefit analysis conducted by Sapere, and the Ministry's detailed business case. The business case looked at three options: increasing the intake at the existing University of Auckland and University of Otago schools, a joint rural training programme run by the two schools, and the new Waikato school. The first option was estimated to cost $10.9b over the years between 2026 and 2042, and deemed the more expensive option. The joint rural training programme was estimated to cost $10.27b over the same period, while the new school - the cheapest option - was estimated to cost $9.1b. While it had the most expensive capital costs ($236.3m) the new school's operating costs ($361.6m) were deemed to be cheaper than increasing the intake at the existing schools ($513.6m) or the joint rural training programme ($508m). The lower operating costs were due to the Waikato course being shorter, the business case said. Prior degrees were also out of scope of the business case, despite the Waikato course being a graduate-entry programme. Professor Warwick Bagg, Dean of the University of Auckland's medical school, said this meant it was not a fair comparison, as it did not take into account the total cost of education. Professor Warwick Bagg. Photo: Supplied "In order to enter a graduate programme, you need to have graduated from a degree. So that's a minimum of three years, possibly longer, but at least three years which will have been funded by the government if it's been completed in New Zealand," he said. The new school also had the most favourable cost-benefit ratio, at 1.986 (meaning for every dollar invested, the benefits were worth $1.99), compared to increasing Auckland and Otago's intake (1.495) and the joint rural training programme (1.798). Waikato was also estimated to have a much higher estimated proportion of new graduates that would go on to become GPs than the other two options. The analysis estimated 38 percent of Waikato graduates would become GPs, compared to increasing the intake at Auckland and Otago (23 percent) and the joint rural training programme (33 percent). However, this is only an assumption, based on figures from the University of Wollongong's medical school, which has been used as a model for Waikato's programme. "It offers a new model, provided by a new entrant, underpinned by proven performance in an Australian context. It offers the greatest opportunity to increase GP propensity," the business case said of the Waikato option. "Option 3's propensity to provide a pathway for GPs is a consequence of a purposeful curriculum, training environments connected to communities, and a different way of selecting students. It can do this as a new entrant medical school, whereas change in an existing academic institution may be more difficult." Bagg said the modelling seemed "experimental" and "speculative," and the Australian context was different to the New Zealand context. "There are very big incentives for rural general practice in Australia that, at least to date, haven't existed in New Zealand, and certainly not historically. That's an important market force that will change behaviour. To my way of thinking, they've used the most optimistic possible outcome that could be found to make the case for the new programme." He also said the rate of graduates from the existing universities working as GPs was "quite a lot" higher than what the business case reported, saying it about 35 percent were working as GPs eight years after graduation. The health minister is standing by the figures, saying Sapere's cost-benefit analysis drew upon information about the existing Auckland and Otago graduates, as well as from Australian universities with a similar curriculum to Waikato. Health Minister Simeon Brown . Photo: RNZ/Marika Khabazi Simeon Brown said the decision was a "game-changer" for the long-term growth of New Zealand's medical workforce. "The Waikato Medical School will offer a post-graduate medical qualification based on similar successful programmes in Australia. These programmes include a year-long primary care placement and encourage students to work in primary care settings following graduation. The selection criteria of students alongside their long-term placements in primary care will both support a higher degree of these medical students to work in primary care after graduation," he said. "The Waikato Medical School will support growth of the number of general practitioners who play a critical role in keeping people healthy in the community and in managing long-term health conditions outside of hospital settings. " Labour's tertiary education spokesperson Shanan Halbert said Otago and Auckland were clear that they would be able to produce more doctors faster, if they were funded to do so. "We've got to make sure we're comparing degree with degree, apples with apples, so to speak. Because what we're seeing, as an example, is that we're comparing degrees at different lengths already." The Green Party's tertiary education spokesperson Francisco Hernandez said the dumping of the documents on a Friday evening showed the government was not confident in the business case. "The cost benefit analysis repeats the main mistake the government has made that has made this such a flawed process - rather than engaging in good faith with Otago and Auckland, and running an open process for a new graduate programme, they have deliberately stacked the deck to produce the outcome they want," he said. "The cost benefit analysis also assumes no further cost escalations - and with the minister refusing to rule out further funding - we just don't know how deep the government's blank cheque will extend to back this flawed proposal." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
22-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Positive reactions to University of Waikato medical school
Local business, community, and medical leaders are reacting positively to the announcement of a new medical school at the University of Waikato. The government announced yesterday it will fund 82.5 million dollars towards the school, with the university paying the remaining 150 million, backed by philanthropists. Libby Kirkby-McLeod reports. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
22-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Rural practices will benefit from new Waikato medical school
The New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine will be located within a new Division of Health Precinct. Photo: Supplied The announcement of a new medical school at the University of Waikato has been welcomed by local business, community, and medical leaders. The government confirmed yesterday it will fund $82.5 million of the school , with the university paying the remaining $150 million, backed by philanthropists. Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive Don Good said he had no concerns about the university being able to secure the money needed to get the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine off the ground. "There are some very wealthy families in the Waikato that you probably have never heard of, and they are very community-minded," he said. Good said people who make money in the Waikato put it back into the region. While he spoke warmly about people in Waikato, he was not so impressed with some of the actions of those outside the region. He said there had been a long-running campaign against a Waikato medical school by the existing medical schools in Auckland and Otago. But the Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences in Auckland Professor Warwick Bagg told Morning Report that while the university put forward its case against a third school, it was pleased that the government had invested so heavily in medical student training. "If you are a patient waiting to see a doctor you are going to be pleased that in the years to come we will have more locally trained doctors to see, I think that's really good news," he said. An artist's impression of the new Division of Health Precinct at the University of Waikato, which will be home to the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine. Photo: Supplied Kawhia is a small coastal settlement west of Ōtorohanga, where John Burton has been a local GP for 33 years. He said he was thrilled the new medical school was happening and he wished it had happened 20 years ago. Dr Burton has trained many student doctors over the years and said he enjoyed it. But he said rural practices currently spent a lot of time training the wrong people and he was looking forward to students who were not coming from the big cities. "We have a lot of medical students come here, down from Auckland, and they all say they love it, it's wonderful experience, but for the majority of them they're Aucklanders and this is a foreign world for them and although it's a lovely adventure, it's not what they're going to end up doing." Rural Health Network chair Dr Fiona Bolden said students from rural areas who trained rurally were six times more likely to work as a rural doctor. Down the country a bit from Kawhia, Waitomo mayor John Robertson said a Waikato-based medical school was a positive announcement for young people in his town. He said proximity to training opportunities was important. "The fact that it's so close is an advantage, and for some students they can live in the area, get a bus up to Hamilton each day," he said. A University of Waikato spokesperson told RNZ the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine would be located within a new Division of Health precinct. Detailed designs were underway and work was expected to start later this year after the main contract had been awarded and the building consent had been received. The university said it also had plans for dedicated student accommodation next to the Health Precinct for medical school students. The first students are expected to be welcomed in 2028. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
21-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
New Waikato medical school gets government green light
The government has green-lit a new medical school at the University of Waikato, ending months of delays due to coalition wrangling. It was a National election promise, and it has finally got the go ahead, with the government announcing it will front up around $80 million while the University pays $150 million for the project. It will add 120 doctor training places each year, starting in 2028. The announcement also came as inflation edges to a 12-month high, and the Minister in charge of Pharmac released a new letter of expectations. Political reporter Lillian Hanly spoke to Melissa Chan-Green. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
21-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
New medical school at University of Waikato gets government go ahead
The government has green-lit a new medical school at the University of Waikato, ending months of delays due to coalition wrangling. But the announcement on Monday also heralded several significant shifts from National's original campaign promise. In a statement, Health Minister Simeon Brown said Cabinet had approved $82.85 million in government funding toward the project, with the university chipping in more than $150m. The numbers differ from National's policy heading into the 2023 election. Then, it pledged $280m for a third medical school at Waikato University, with the university to raise a further $100m. The school would also open in 2028, a year later than National had promised, but still with an initial roll of 120 students. Brown said that would be a "significant boost" to the homegrown medical workforce and came on top of the 100 extra training places being added this term at Auckland and Otago universities. "Today's decision will enable the University of Waikato to begin construction on new teaching facilities later this year and start planning for clinical placements, while giving more students the opportunity to study medicine in New Zealand," Brown said. "It's an innovative model that supports our focus on strengthening primary care, making it easier for people to see their doctor - helping Kiwis stay well and out of hospital." Universities Minister Shane Reti said the decision was a major milestone and real boost for tertiary education in Waikato. "By expanding access to medical training, we're creating new opportunities for students from across the region and beyond, while also helping to future-proof the local workforce." The proposal was controversial from the outset. Both Auckland and Otago universities argued they could train more students at a lower cost. ACT also raised concerns. During coalition talks, it secured a commitment that the project would not go ahead without a detailed cost-benefit analysis. In August last year, ACT leader David Seymour said he was "dissatisfied" with the initial evaluation and cited Treasury advice that the proposal did not offer value for money. In a statement on Monday, the ACT Party said it had saved the taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars, with Semour saying it was "down to Waikato University agreeing to contribute a higher proportion of the medical school's costs". "ACT's rigorous questioning helped ensure a more efficient investment meaning Kiwis get better outcomes for less," he said. "ACT insisted that a full cost-benefit analysis be done before signing off on such a large investment. We demanded better planning, transparency, and accountability. We raised concerns about the initial analysis failing to consider other options to address the issue. As a result, officials and Waikato University revised their assumptions, refined the proposal, and delivered a plan that achieves the goal of more doctors trained for rural communities at a significantly lower cost to taxpayers. "ACT has always said we must save money where it counts so we can invest where it matters. This improved investment is a great example, with more money left in your back pocket and a solution found." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
