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A workforce questionnaire accompanies the annual practising certificate application form sent by the New Zealand Medical Council to medical practitioners on the medical register. Before 1997, the medical workforce survey data provided statistical information about the active New Zealand medical workforce at the end of June of each year. The medical workforce survey data from 1997 is as at 31 March. This change coincides with the statutory requirement for the Medical Council to report to the Minister of Health on the financial year, 1 April to 31 March.

While completion of the workforce survey is voluntary, the response rate to the medical workforce survey is high in comparison to other workforce surveys. In 2003, renewal forms for the annual practising certificate were sent to the 10,099 medical practitioners who had purchased a practising certificate in 2002. Of these, 9600 completed the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 95.1 percent. A total of 8790 medical practitioners responded to the questionnaire and reported working four or more hours per week.

Number of active medical practitioners, by sex, 1984–2003.

Year	Males		Females		Total
	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
2003	5754	65.5	3036	34.5	8790
2002	5577	66.4	2826	33.6	8403
2001	5726	67.4	2765	32.6	8491
2000	5804	67.4	2811	32.6	8615
1999	5869	68.1	2747	31.9	8616
1998	5835	68.7	2656	31.3	8491
1997	5740	69.8	2484	30.2	8224
1996	5387	70.6	2247	29.4	7634
1995	5349	71.0	2181	29.0	7530
1994	5196	72.4	1984	27.6	7180
1993	5044	73.4	1828	26.6	6872
1992	4968	73.9	1754	26.1	6722
1991	4939	75.1	1636	24.9	6575
1990	4823	76.1	1516	23.9	6339
1989	4842	77.0	1444	23.0	6286
1988	4795	77.7	1379	22.3	6174
1987	4770	78.3	1325	21.7	6095
1986	4551	79.2	1196	20.8	5747
1985	4435	79.8	1121	20.2	5556
1984	4368	80.3	1069	19.7	5437
Source: New Zealand Medical Council.

Active medical practitioners are classified in the medical workforce survey as house officers, registrars, medical officers of special scale (MOSS), primary care practitioners (general practitioners or other primary care), or specialists. These classifications are based on the type of work carried out in the primary employment location, and exclude work done in secondary or tertiary employment locations.

Primary employment capacities of active medical practitioners by geographic region; numbers in each type of employment, 2003.

DHB region	No answer	GP	House Officer	MOSS	Other	Primary care	Registrar	Specialist	Total
Northland	*	116	21	14	*	*	20	62	239
Waitemata	*	313	38	26	19	15	64	201	679
Auckland	15	400	178	39	77	51	355	670	1785
Counties Manukau	6	252	69	22	18	12	141	206	726
Waikato	5	243	68	19	8	12	142	221	718
Bay of Plenty	*	138	45	10	*	*	38	102	337
Lakes	0	73	22	8	*	*	10	54	171
Tairawhiti	*	28	10	6	*	0	*	22	69
Hawke’s Bay	*	103	26	8	*	*	13	74	231
Taranaki	*	74	16	8	*	*	15	59	177
MidCentral	*	95	36	17	5	*	38	103	299
Whanganui	*	34	10	9	*	0	7	35	97
Wairarapa	0	24	*	*	*	0	*	18	51
Hutt	*	97	4	14	6	*	26	71	221
Capital & Coast	6	228	104	12	32	12	149	284	827
Nelson-Marlborough	5	108	25	15	*	*	4	69	228
West Coast	0	17	*	*	0	0	0	9	31
Canterbury	8	381	101	35	32	16	191	361	1125
Otago	4	160	43	20	32	4	81	178	522
South Canterbury	0	51	7	6	0	0	0	33	97
Southland	*	71	14	9	*	0	23	41	160
Total	65	3006	842	303	244	138	1319	2873	8790
* An asterisk represents a number less than four but greater than zero. Source: New Zealand Medical Council.

For further information or details please e-mail workforce@moh.govt.nz.

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