A leading surgeon says they finally have the government's ear - months after it set up a taskforce to tackle health workforce shortages.
The Aotearoa arm of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons says it has been making "increasingly urgent calls for meaningful dialogue".
And it's finally paid off with the promise of regular meetings.
Aotearoa national committee chair Associate Professor Andrew MacCormick says that began just last month in meetings with the Health Minister, ministry and Te Whatu Ora.
He says there is progress on addressing the shortage of anaesthetic technicians, though one solution, to use nurses, risks cannabilising another workforce
