Tēnā koe, 

 

Thank you for contacting Health NZ, Te Whatu Ora. This is an automatic
reply to confirm that we have received your email.  Depending on the
nature of your request you may not receive a response for up to 20 working
days.  We will try to respond to your query as quickly as possible.

 

 

Ngā mihi

 

Health NZ, Te Whatu Ora

Spark Central, 44-48 Willis Street, Wellington| PO Box 5013, Wellington
6140
Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora 
[1]www.TeWhatuOra.govt.nz
 
Statement of confidentiality: This email message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use,
disseminate, distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have
received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and
delete this message

References

Visible links
1. http://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/

Kia ora Ronald

Sincere apologies for the delay in our response to your request for
official information, received on 7 February for: 

 ”Information regarding the Resident Medical Officer (RMO) offices and the
Northern Regional Alliance (NRA) in the greater Auckland region. 

A. RMO Office/NRA Staffing, Structure, and Budget
1. Staffing Breakdown:
- The total number of staff employed in RMO offices/NRA across the greater
Auckland region.
- A breakdown of staff roles, including position titles, job descriptions,
and whether these roles are full-time, part-time, or contracted.
- The minimum and preferred qualifications required for each role,
including any mandatory training or experience.

2. Budget and Funding:
- The total annual budget allocated to the RMO office/NRA, including a
detailed breakdown of expenditure by category (e.g., salaries, operational
costs, administration, recruitment, and external contracts).
- Any funding received from external sources, including Te Whatu Ora,
DHBs, or private entities.
- A breakdown of how funds are allocated across different hospitals within
the Auckland region.

3. Staff Training and Employment Conditions:
- Are RMO office/NRA staff required to undergo training on NZRDA SECA and
STONZ SECA agreements?
- If so, what training is provided, how often, and who delivers it?
- Are RMO office staff members part of any collective employment
agreements, or are they employed under individual contracts?
- How much annual leave is typically taken by RMO office staff per year?
- What financial compensation, allowances, or other benefits are provided
to RMO office staff for:
- - Overtime work
- - Additional responsibilities
- - Managing urgent or unplanned workforce shortages

B. Relationship Between RMO Office/NRA and Locum Bureau
4. Division of Responsibilities:
- Where does the responsibility of the locum bureau begin, and where does
the responsibility of the RMO office/NRA end?
- Are there any formal agreements, policies, or memoranda of understanding
that outline the division of responsibilities?
- What specific functions are performed by each (e.g., shift allocation,
vacancy tracking, financial approvals, payroll processing)?

5. Shift Allocation and Commission:
- Does the locum bureau receive any commission, bonuses, or other
financial incentives for filling vacant shifts?
- If so, how is this structured (e.g., per shift, percentage-based,
performance-based)?
- What criteria are used to determine whether a shift is advertised
through the locum bureau or managed internally by the RMO office/NRA?

6. Transparency and Fair Access to Shifts:
- What steps are taken to ensure fair access to locum shifts for RMOs?
- Are there any priority systems or ranking mechanisms for allocating
shifts?
- Are there audit processes in place to ensure locum shifts are allocated
fairly and equitably?
- How does the RMO office/NRA track unfilled shifts, and what actions are
taken when a shift remains vacant?

C. Senior Management Intelligence & Decision-Making
7. Data Collection and Reporting:
- What data and reports does the RMO office/NRA collect on RMO staffing,
rostering, vacancies, and workforce conditions?
- How frequently is this data reported to senior management, and in what
format?
- What key performance indicators (KPIs) are used to assess RMO staffing
and shift coverage?
- Are historical trends and patterns in RMO workforce shortages analysed
and used for workforce planning?

8. Accuracy of Workforce Intelligence:
- What mechanisms are in place to ensure that the intelligence provided to
senior management accurately reflects conditions on the ground?
- Are there regular audits or cross-checks between RMO workforce reports
and actual shift coverage data?
- How does the RMO office/NRA collect feedback from RMOs on the accuracy
of workforce reports?

C. Complaints and Dispute Resolution
9. Handling of Complaints:
- What is the process for handling complaints related to:
- - RMO staffing and workforce shortages
- - Shift allocations and rostering disputes
- - RMO office/NRA decision-making processes
- How many formal complaints have been received in the last three years
regarding:
- - Shift allocations
- - Locum shift availability
- - RMO workforce conditions

10. Resolution Process:
- What is the average timeframe for resolving complaints related to
workforce planning and shift allocation?
- What escalation pathways exist for RMOs if they are dissatisfied with
the handling of a complaint?
- What steps are taken to address systemic issues identified through
complaints?

E. Leave, Compensation, and Workforce Trends
11. Leave and Absences:
- How much annual leave, sick leave, and unpaid leave has been taken by
RMO office/NRA staff in the past three years?
- Has there been an increase or decrease in annual leave uptake over this
period?

12. Workforce Stability and Staff Turnover:
- What has been the turnover rate for RMO office/NRA staff in the past
three years?
- Are exit interviews conducted for departing staff, and if so, what are
the common reasons cited for leaving?

13. Impact of Staffing Shortages:
- How does the RMO office/NRA handle situations where key administrative
roles are vacant?
- Have there been instances where staff shortages within the RMO
office/NRA have impacted shift allocations or rostering decisions?"

 

We have been actively working on providing this information, but it has
become clear that we can’t proceed without refinement. In order to assist
us to provide you with the information requested, could you please clarify
the information you are seeking? 

 

We understand the OIA questions to be written in a manner that may allude
to services not delivered by Health NZ, but a contracted third party. We
have provided information on how these services are structured to
understand if the scope of OIA could be narrowed attached as Appendix One.

Would you also be willing to refine the timeframe for the request to 1
July 2022 to present? 

 

We appreciate you are under no obligation to amend your request, but
requests that require substantial collation may be refused under section
18(f) of the OIA. We want to work with you to avoid this and ensure we are
able to provide a response that best meets your needs.

 

As such, we would appreciate it if you reviewed your previous requests in
light of the information we have provided in Appendix One. 

Please let us know:

o If you want to refine your request, and 
o which of your previous requests, or parts therein, you would still
like information on.

We look forward to receiving your response. 

Ngā mihi

Morgan

Senior Advisor (OIA) Government Services 

Office of the Chief Executive
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora

 

 

show quoted sections