A report was released this week highlighting the insufficient neurological workforce in New Zealand. Professor Anna Ranta and her colleagues identified that:
- In 2024, there were 83 neurologists working in NZ across the public and private sectors, providing 3 full-time equivalents, including 8.3 full-time equivalent specialist paediatric neurologists. The combined individual adult neurologists equate to one neurologist per 74,000 people.
- Comparatively, Australia has one neurologist per 41,000 people and a recent Australian workforce model estimated that to achieve best practice management requirements, it is recommended one neurologist per 28,000 people would be required.
- To meet current requirements, NZ needs 98 FTE Neurologists now, and 123 FTE by 2036.
- While the workforce has increased over the past 10 years, the number of neurologists per head of population in NZ ranks well below other high-income countries.
- Demand for services continues to significantly exceed supply and if current trends continue, the gap is expected to widen rather than narrow over the next 12 years.
- Only about one in five patients with chronic neurologic disease are regularly reviewed by a neurologist. For chronic neurologic diseases, there should be approximately six times as many follow-up appointments as first specialist assessments. However, Health NZ reports an overall ratio of 1:1 first assessments to follow ups.
- Currently New Zealand has the capacity to train only up to five new trainee neurologists a year, with neurology specialist training taking three years.
- Taking into account retirement, NZ is only recruiting 3.3 FTE per year, meaning there are not enough neurological positions for the numbers of specialists being trained.
- Urgent action is required to:
- Triple the number of Neurologist positions available each year
- Increase the annual number of specialist trainee positions from 5 to 9
- Increase exposure to neurology for medical students
Statement from Multiple Sclerosis NZ on the Neurological Workforce
Multiple Sclerosis NZ welcomes yesterday’s publication by Professor Anna Ranta and her neurological colleagues, exposing the insufficient capacity of New Zealand’s neurological workforce.
For over a decade, Multiple Sclerosis NZ has consistently raised with government, Health NZ, and the public that the workforce crisis is the biggest long-term risk for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological conditions. This report provides the data to further that message.
Inadequate resourcing risks delaying diagnosis, timely treatment, and effective monitoring, outcomes that can culminate in premature, preventable disability and disease progression, increasing both demand on the health system and costs to New Zealand.
Research is continually advancing in MS, improving diagnostics and delivering new treatments that are drastically improving lives. These advances bring greater complexity, testing, and monitoring demands on neurology departments. New Zealand’s neurological workforce is doing an incredible job managing this workload, but it is unsustainable.
We urge the government to heed the warnings that data, clinical experience, and experts are clearly sending. Further delay will exacerbate the problem for years to come.
Neurological conditions pose the greatest long-term threat to our health system as populations grow and age. MS, as an example, can affect anyone at any time. Over 5,000 people are living with it in New Zealand, with 300 newly diagnosed each year at an average age of 38. People will live with MS for their lifetime, with mortality age no different than the wider population. Prevalence has increased by over 67% in the last 20 years, a rate higher than population growth.
With capacity to train only 4–5 neurologists per year, and risks of specialist trainees leaving for overseas opportunities, action must be taken now on recruitment, retention, and training.
While this research does not address the lack of specialist nursing support, we urge Health NZ, the Ministry of Health, and the government to address the workforce crisis in its entirety. MS Nurses are an integral part of the multidisciplinary team, providing support, education, and ongoing care. Bolstering specialist nurse capacity alongside neurologists will enable more timely diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing management.
Due to insufficient neurological workforce, most people diagnosed with MS only receive neurological services at time of diagnosis and whilst on treatment. Approximately 50% of those diagnosed with MS are on funded treatments. Ongoing care is delivered in the community by MS societies and primary care. Greater investment in publicly funded neurology services would enable long-term neurological care and monitoring, increasingly critical given advances in research and treatment.
Multiple Sclerosis NZ calls on the government and Health NZ to recognise neurological services as a critical long-term investment, one that reduces death and disability and delivers long-term savings to the health sector.
Upcoming MSNZ Evening Meeting with Professor Anna Ranta
Multiple Sclerosis NZ looks forward to Professor Anna Ranta speaking on this issue at an upcoming meeting in Wellington in the evening on 28 April 2026. To register your interest in this meeting please email info@msnz.org.nz and to be notified in due course.
Radio New Zealand (RNZ) Interview
Amanda Rose, National Manager at MS New Zealand speaks on RNZ to call for urgent government investment in neurologists: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2019023827/call-for-urgent-government-investment-in-neurologists
Supporting Information
Download Otago University’s Media Release on looming shortage of neurologists