Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – Research from the University of Otago, Wellington has found that New Zealand lacks a sufficient number of neurologists to meet the growing demand for diagnosing and treating conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.
The study was led by Professor Anna Ranta of the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Medicine. It analysed the neurology workforce, assessing current capacity, historical trends and future projections to help inform health sector planning. The results have been published in the British specialist medical journal BMJ Neurology Open.
Professor Ranta noted that although the number of neurologists has risen over the past decade, New Zealand still has far fewer specialists per capita than other high-income nations. She added that demand for neurological services continues to outstrip the available supply.
“If current trends continue, the gap is expected to widen rather than narrow over the next 12 years.”
In 2024, New Zealand had 83 neurologists employed across both public and private healthcare, representing 67.3 full-time equivalent (FTE) roles. This total includes 8.3 FTE specialist paediatric neurologists. Overall, the number of adult neurologists works out to roughly one specialist for every 74,000 people, compared with Australia’s ratio of one neurologist per 41,000 residents.
Professor Ranta notes that a recent Australian workforce model suggested that meeting best-practice standards would require around one neurologist for every 28,000 people.
She warns that if current trends in training, recruitment, retention, and clinical practice continue, New Zealand’s neurology workforce is likely to face increasing strain over time.
According to Professor Ranta, limited health sector funding means many patients who would benefit from specialist neurological care are unable to access it. Those who do secure an appointment are often referred back to their GP after just one consultation. As a result, only about 20% of patients living with chronic neurological conditions receive ongoing follow-up from a neurologist.
She further indicated that they should expect approximately six times as many follow-up appointments as the initial specialist assessments, but Health NZ demonstrates an overall ratio of 1:1 initial assessment to follow ups.
Professor Ranta notes that the growing complexity of treatments is driving higher demand for neurology services.
She indicated that treatment options for multiple sclerosis have become more sophisticated, requiring greater specialist involvement, and new therapies for Alzheimer’s disease are expected soon. Conditions that were once untreatable, such as spinal muscular atrophy, now have options, and additional treatments for neurogenetic disorders are on the way.
Professor Ranta also points out that advances in acute stroke care are contributing to the increased need for neurologists. Reperfusion therapies, for example, allow physicians to remove blockages and restore blood flow to the brain before severe damage occurs.
Additionally, she indicated that more tertiary hospitals are routinely offering telemedicine and remote expert guidance to smaller facilities, and there has been a rise in the number of patients being transferred for reperfusion therapy.
Professor Ranta highlights that the new treatments have a major impact, lowering rates of death and disability while generating long-term cost savings for the healthcare system.
She indicated however that despite these benefits; there has been very little extra funding directed toward expanding the neurology workforce needed to fully realise these savings.”
At present, New Zealand can only train around four to five new neurologists annually, with specialist neurology training lasting three years.
According to Professor Ranta, when compared with statistics from Australia and the World Federation of Neurology, the number of practicing neurologists in New Zealand is alarmingly low.
“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.”
