Researchers have called for the government to provide stronger funding, recruitment and training initiatives so the country can keep up with the projected increase in neurological burdens over the next decade.
University of Otago (Wellington) stroke researcher Prof Anna Ranta led a study on the neurology workforce, examining capacity, trends over time, and future projections to assist with health sector planning.
While the workforce had increased over the past 10 years, she said the number of neurologists per head of population in New Zealand was "woeful" compared to other high-income countries, and demand for services continued to significantly exceed supply.
It meant New Zealand did not have enough neurologists to keep up with the increase in demand for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and stroke, she said.
"If current trends continue, the gap is expected to widen, rather than narrow over the next 12 years."
Prof Ranta said there were 83 neurologists working across New Zealand’s public and private sectors in 2024, which equated to one neurologist per 74,000 people in New Zealand.
She said only about one-in-five patients with chronic neurologic disease were regularly reviewed by a neurologist.
"We should expect about six times as many follow-up appointments as first specialist assessments.
"If current training, recruitment, retention and practice patterns persist, projections indicate there will be a gradual worsening in the New Zealand neurology workforce over time."
Australia had one neurologist per 41,000 people, but a recent Australian workforce model estimated the country needed to have one neurologist per 28,000 to achieve best practice management requirements.
Prof Ranta said new treatments were increasing the need for neurology services.
"Multiple sclerosis treatment options have become more complex, requiring more specialist input, and new Alzheimer’s treatments are on the horizon.
"Rarer diseases, such as spinal muscular atrophy, now have treatment options, and there are many more treatments for neurogenetic diseases imminent."
She said other changes which were increasing the demand for neurologists included advances in acute stroke treatment, such as reperfusion therapies which can enable doctors to clear blocked arteries and restore the blood flow to the brain before major damage occurs.
The new treatments made a significant difference, reducing death and disability, and bringing long-term savings to the health sector, she said.
"Despite this, there has been minimal additional investment in the neurology workforce to ensure these savings can be realised."
Neurology specialist training takes three years, and at present, New Zealand only has the capacity to train up to five new neurologists a year.
"New Zealand requires strong funding, recruitment and training initiatives if we want to be ready for the projected increase in neurological burden of disease now, and over the next decade," she said.
