The New Zealand Rural General Practice Network’s new Tautoko Rural initiative provides rural practices and community-run rural hospitals with funding for short-term locums and staff in any role in your service.
This funding aims to help you fill short-term staffing gaps due to COVID-19 illness, isolation requirements or work stressors caused by managing COVID-19.
It is available to all roles that support the healthcare response whether they are clinical or non-clinical. It can include administration and support staff, as well as assistance with the logistics of your practice or hospital, such as cleaning and kitchen staff.
The Tautoko Rural initiative is funded by the Ministry of Health and replaces our Pandemic Emergency Roving Locums (PERL) initiative.
Tautoko Rural funding will be available for rural general practices and non-DHB rural hospitals through until December 2022.
Sourcing staff
To help us find people to support you, the Ministry of Health has given the Network access to its COVID-19 Hands Up Database in which thousands of people across NZ registered to provide short term assistance during COVID-19 outbreaks. It includes people with clinical, non-clinical, administration and logistics skills from all DHB areas.
The application process
Please complete the application form below to let us know about your practice/hospital’s needs. Multiple positions can be applied for using one application form.
Once we receive your application, we will provide high-level profiles of the people that match your practice/hospital’s needs, with information about their readiness to work, proof of vaccination status, CV or brief work history. You will then do your own due diligence on the candidate you may wish to hire.
Alternatively, if you already have a suitable relief worker or locum available locally you can apply for Tautoko Rural funding for this placement.
For critical placements such as many clinical positions, if there is no one who is available locally, the funding may include their travel and accommodation.
All applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
In your application form, you will need to establish a reasonable pay rate and if approved, set up a contract with the relief worker and pay them following their employment.
The New Zealand Rural General Practice will provide reimbursement for the hours of work (plus accommodation and transport if approved) following the short-term placement.