The Voluntary Bonding Scheme 2024 intake information

Last year, Health NZ was pleased to announce the eligible professions, communities, and specialties for the 2024 intake of the Scheme.

Expansions and additions from last year’s intake include:

• Expansion of the Scheme to include all new (2023) graduate midwives nationwide, also extended to 2022 graduate midwives who have not already registered to the Scheme
• a new category for new or (2023) graduate anaesthetic technicians working in public sector hospitals nationwide, also extended to 2021 and 2022 graduates
• a new category for new or recent graduate pharmacists working in regional public sector hospitals and rural and regional community settings **
• expansion of the Scheme for rural and regional general practice trainees, including to all Mâori and Pacific trainees nationwide, and the addition of non-urban portions of the Waitemata and Counties Manukau districts, and Invercargill as eligible communities
• expansion of available Scheme places for new graduate enrolled and registered nurses

  ** for Pharmacists, the category is geographically targeted to rural and regional Aotearoa New Zealand and excludes the urban boundaries of the six main centres (Metropolitan Auckland,  Tauranga, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin). The category is open to new (2023) graduate pharmacists who are commencing their internship in 2023 or early 2024, and also 2021 and 2022 graduate pharmacists who complete(d) their internship in 2023.

  The full list of eligible professions, specialties and communities can be found below 

Postgraduate General Practice Trainees (PGY3-6), who commence(d) GPEP1, 2, or 3 in early 2024

• Mâori General practice trainees (nationwide)

• Pacific General practice trainees (nationwide)

and (non Mâori/Pacific trainees) in:

• Bay of Plenty (excluding Tauranga and Whakatāne urban)
• Canterbury (excluding, Christchurch other than Banks Peninsula)
• Capital & Coast (excluding Wellington and Porirua)
• Counties Manukau (excluding metropolitan Auckland)
• Hawke’s Bay
• Lakes
• Midcentral
• Nelson Marlborough (excluding Nelson/Richmond)
• Northland
• South Canterbury
• Southern (excluding Dunedin/Mosgiel)
• Tairāwhiti
• Taranaki
• Waikato (excluding Hamilton)
• Wairarapa
• Waitemata (excluding metropolitan Auckland)
• West Coast
• Whanganui

Midwives: Core-Employed and Lead Maternity Carers —2024 Intake

• Core-employed and Lead Maternity Carer roles nationwide (2023 graduates)
• Core-employed and Lead Maternity Carer roles nationwide (2022 graduates who have not already registered to the Scheme)

Anaesthetic Technicians —2024 Intake

• public sector hospitals nationwide (2023 graduates)

• public sector hospitals nationwide (2021 and 2022 graduates)

Pharmacists —2024 Intake

• regional public sector hospitals and rural and regional community settings (2023 graduates commencing internship in 2023/early 2024)

• regional public sector hospitals and rural and regional community settings (2021 or 2022 graduates completinginternship in 2023)

For Pharmacists, the category is geographically targeted to rural and regional Aotearoa New Zealand and excludes the urban boundaries of the six main centres (Metropolitan Auckland,  Tauranga, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin). The category is open to new (2023) graduate pharmacists who are commencing their internship in 2023 or early 2024, and also 2021 and 2022 graduate pharmacists who complete(d) their internship in 2023.

Registered Nurses — 2024 Intake (2023 graduates)

Specialties

• Aged Care (aged residential care and older persons' health services)
• Mental Health (hospital and community, including addiction services)
• District Nursing
• Well Child/Tamariki Ora
• Primary/Practice Nursing within:
  • Māori or Pacific Providers
  • Auckland
  • Counties Manukau
  • Waitematā
  • Taranaki

Or

Communities

• South Canterbury
• Wairoa District
• West Coast

Enrolled Nurses — 2024 Intake (2023 graduates)

Specialties

• Aged Care (aged residential care and older persons' health services)
• Mental Health (hospital and community, including addiction services)

Sonographers — 2024 Intake (2023 graduates)

• Publicly funded health facilities

Radiation Therapists — 2024 intake (2023 graduates)

• Publicly funded health facilities.

Medical Physicists — 2024 intake (who complete TEAP in 2023)

• Publicly funded health facilities

Dentists and Oral Health Therapists — 2024 Intake (2021, 2022, and 2023 graduates PGY1-3)

• Te Hiku Hauora – Kaitaia  
• Ngāti Hine Health Trust – Kawakawa 
• Raukura Hauora o Tainui – Kirikiriroa / Hamilton
• Te Manu Toroa – Tauranga  
• Tipu Ora – Rotorua 
• Ngāti Porou Hauora – Te Puia Springs and Ruatoria
• Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga – Heretaunga / Hastings  
• Ora Toa PHO – Porirua  

Or

• Māori Oral Health Providers (to be assessed on a case-by-case basis) *
• Pacific Oral Health Providers (to be assessed on a case-by-case basis) *
• practices located in rural or remote areas (to be assessed on a case-by-case basis) *

* prior to a registrant’s confirmation on the Scheme. Oral health practices in semi-rural hubs (i.e., smaller towns) and Health NZ roles may be considered on a case-by-case basis if it can be verified that the role provides significant services to surrounding rural and semi-rural populations and/or to Māori and/or Pacific communities.