Welcome
Thanks for visiting our site. You’re obviously keen to consider putting into practice the ‘As a GP what would you do’ question! This site is designed specifically to give General Practitioners like you more information about why you should come and join us at the West Coast District Health Board. Here you’ll find more information about us, our General Practitioner opportunities and our wonderful region.
About us
If it is a perfect balance between your career and your personal life you’re after, then you need to look no further. The West Coast District Health Board offers exactly that.
For starters, we provide high quality primary care services from 13 different locations (the WCDHB own 4 general practices with a number of rural clinics on the Coast) and a wide range of secondary care services from our secondary care hospital in Greymouth. We have close links with the tertiary hospitals in Christchurch and aim to have closer collaboration with Canterbury District Health Board in the near future.
Amazingly, we service the largest geographical area in New Zealand - the same distance as you would travel from Auckland to Wellington – 600kms to be precise! Sure, this presents huge challenges but achieving them is all part of our culture. We are innovative because we have to be. And, just like you, we are all about getting the job done. A collaborative, relaxed but professional approach is our focus.
Being rural doesn’t make us any less professional or resourced than any of the larger health providers. In fact, our recent partnership with Cisco HealthPresence is quite ground breaking. We recognise that telemedicine can overcome some of the transport challenges of rural communities. The Cisco Health Presence ‘pod’ gives patients and medical staff who may be hundreds of kilometres apart, a face-to-face like experience by combining state of the art video, audio and biometric technology over a highly secure network. This no doubt puts us at the forefront of technology in this area in New Zealand.
Most importantly however, at the West Coast District Health Board we nurture an environment where you have the technology and resources to learn, the professional support to grow, and the ability to really make a difference within your community.
The West Coast Region
You’ll soon understand why the West Coast is described as one of the most beautiful regions in the South Island. With Kahurangi National Park to the north and Mount Aspiring National Park to the south, the West Coast region lies in a narrow band between the magnificent Southern Alps and Tasman Sea. We have an impressive 600 kilometres of unspoilt coastline, which has made it into the Lonely Planet Guide, and yet surprisingly we are still only a few hours drive or a half hour flight away from Christchurch – the South Island’s largest city. If you base yourself in Westport you are also only a 50 minute flight away from our capital city of Wellington!
The West Coast boasts nearly two million hectares of rainforest and our wealth lies in minerals extraction, dairying and tourism. We have a rich and long Maori history with ancient sites dotted throughout the region. Our 32,000 people live in towns and rural settlements and will be only too happy to welcome you to your new home and to show off their spectacular backyard.
You see, the West Coast region offers you not only a chance to explore New Zealand at its rugged best, but to also make your mark in a community that will totally value your skills and talent.
Website Resources about the West Coast
For general information about living and working on the West Coast visit www.westcoastnz.com or www.west-coast.co.nz. Here you will find information on our region, communities, schools, amenities, industries, recreation/leisure and sporting opportunities and all the ‘must do’ activities!