An active and effective Medical Association is a vital and consistent ingredient underpinning strong health systems around the world. Today’s news of the potential winding-up of the New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) is a sad day for the country’s health system and the thousands of doctors it is intended to represent. That’s according to New Zealand’s general practice association (GenPro), whose own objectives include providing strong, credible and effective national representation for New Zealand’s network of general practice and urgent care business owners.

Upon hearing the announcement from the NZMA today that it will be going into liquidation, Chair of the GenPro Board, Dr Tim Malloy (pictured), said “This is very disappointing to hear and I feel for the individual staff members and leaders at the NZMA who have provided credible and long-running representation for New Zealand’s doctors over many decades. The potential loss of our pan-professional medical organisation is a critical loss for medicine as a whole. This news should be of concern to all doctors and our health leaders at a time when the health system is facing significant change and upheaval”.

GenPro works closely with the NZMA across a range of essential processes and forums including arrangements for the formal representation of general practice in national contract negotiations and formal Bargaining arrangements covering the employment of the nurses and many
administration staff employed across the country’s general practices (the Primary Healthcare Multi-Employer Collective Agreement – MECA).

GenPro’s Chief Executive, Philip Grant, echoed the personal sentiments made by Dr Tim Malloy and also added that, “GenPro is in close contact and active discussion with our colleagues at the NZMA at this difficult time. We are offering our support and expertise, where we can, to help plan and ensure the continuity of some essential functions and services which the NZMA has been leading and upon which general practices and GenPro members are reliant”.