Consultant Geriatrician

• Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand
• Permanent full-time position

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

Whangarei Hospital is a 250 bedded District General Hospital with all the major specialities including ICU. We are a 5.5FTE department made up of New Zealanders and Brits.  The post will be based at Whangarei Hospital, but we provide a service to older people across the whole of Northland (Te Tai Tokerau).  This is 12,600km2 in area with a population of 170,000 in an interesting mix of urban and rural settings.  In addition to the main base hospital, we provide a specialist visiting service to our three rural community hospitals. 

Back in 2020 we had a significant service re-design and now deliver an acute frailty service.  We have a 10-12 bedded Acute Care of the Elderly (ACE) Unit looking after patients with acute medical problems and frailty.  We have a full multidisciplinary team (MDT) available for this team.  We have also worked hard to set up a front-door Frailty service and work collaboratively with the Emergency Department to optimise those living with frailty and enable them to maintain their independence for as long as possible.

The Health of Older People team also covers a 20-bedded rehabilitation ward (a mix of orthopaedic, stroke and general rehabilitation) and a 5-day-a-week orthogeriatric service to the orthopaedic ward.  There is an opportunity to take the lead and enhance these services for an interested individual. We are enthusiastic participants in training and supervision of our junior colleagues.

Our team is an integral part of the wider medical department at Whangarei Hospital. We have a fantastic community-based team including Gerontology Nurse Specialists, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Occupational Therapist and Social Worker, meaning we truly can work at the hospital and community interface.

There is capacity to initiate or further develop a subspecialty interest here, particularly in falls and syncope, complex dementia, rehabilitation or perioperative medicine.  There is no expectation to do on-call with this post, however if you wish to maintain a general medical on-call component this can easily be explored.

About the Location

As well as a warm climate, the "winterless north" offers excellent schools; affordable housing and scenic coastal areas offering a range of recreational activities. We are just a two hours' drive or 25-minute flight from the international hub of Auckland. To learn more about our stunning location please click here  

For more information on living and working in Northland click here

About you

To be considered you must have or be eligible for specialist (or locum tenens) registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) in an Internal Medicine Vocational scope of practice.

If you are currently overseas / not yet registered, we can assist you with the application process to obtain MCNZ registration. 

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.  

How to Apply

To apply please click “apply now.”  All applications must be submitted through our online careers' portal by 14 May 2025. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Dr Vic Henderson at Victoria.Henderson@northlanddhb.org.nz or General Manager Belinda.beehre@northlanddhb.org.nz  

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.