• Hāwera Hospital, Taranaki
• Permanent, full-time role
• Be part of an experienced interdisciplinary team of medical professionals

A position as a rural hospital emergency department doctor at Hāwera Hospital offers a truly unique and rewarding opportunity. Here, you become part of a close-knit, supportive team where collaboration is second nature and egos are left at the door. The friendly culture fosters camaraderie, respect, and a genuine commitment to shared success – both for colleagues and for the community we serve.

As a rural hospital, Hāwera offers the best of integrated care. You will work closely with our Rural Hospital Medical Specialists, Emergency Department nursing team and wider team of General Practitioners, specialist nurses and Allied Health practitioners to enable continuity of care that’s increasingly rare in larger urban settings.

Hāwera also provides excellent opportunities for teaching and mentoring, with regular placements of medical students and registrars. Whether you’re an experienced clinician or early in your journey, there’s space to contribute to the next generation of rural health professionals while keeping your own skills sharp and relevant.

Set in the stunning South Taranaki landscape, life here comes with fresh air, beautiful coastlines, and a strong sense of place. Whether you’re surfing after a shift, hiking up Mount Taranaki, or enjoying time with your whānau, this region offers lifestyle advantages that restore balance and connection. It’s medicine the way it should be – personal, practical, and grounded in community.

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About our Emergency Department

Hawera Emergency Department is an 11-bed facility seeing approximately 1,500 patients each month. We have a dedicated team of Rural Health Specialists and Emergency Department Medical Officers working rostered rotating shifts, supported by the Taranaki Base Hospital Emergency Department SMO group to provide a 24/7 emergency service to our local rural community.

As an ED Medical Officer, you will work one of three shifts: 8am to 4pm, 1.30pm to 9.30pm, or the night shift (8.30pm to 8.30am). For much of your shift, you will be the sole doctor on duty, offering a high level of clinical autonomy and the opportunity to practise broad-spectrum rural emergency medicine. There is an overlap between the morning and afternoon shifts to support handover and clinical collaboration. A Resident Medical Officer is usually rostered alongside you, and our experienced Clinical Nurse Specialists provide a fast-track service for lower-acuity patients, allowing medical staff to focus on higher-acuity presentations.

The establishment of an evolving telemedicine service and access to a 15 bed inpatient unit enable Hawera ED to provide comprehensive care to the South Taranaki community, supporting the 2023 National Rural Health Strategy’s vision of delivering care closer to home.

Although Hawera Hospital does not have a CT scanner, comprehensive X-ray and laboratory services are available on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Taranaki Base Hospital, our secondary referral centre, is approximately one hour away by road, with well-established transfer pathways for patients requiring higher levels of care.

The after-hours ED Medical Officer also provides medical oversight for patients admitted to our rural inpatient medical ward until the inpatient medical team arrives the following morning. This aspect of the role offers a rewarding opportunity to maintain and develop acute inpatient medicine skills alongside emergency care.

A team of highly skilled ED nurses and support services – including onsite laboratory and radiology, allied health, helicopter retrieval services, and Hato Hone St John ambulance transfer teams – enables Hawera ED to deliver exceptional care locally while ensuring timely access to specialist services when required.

Working at Hawera offers the unique opportunity to practise true rural emergency medicine within a supportive multidisciplinary team. The role provides an excellent balance of clinical independence, broad procedural experience, and close collaboration with regional specialist services, making it an ideal position for clinicians seeking variety, autonomy, and the chance to make a meaningful impact in a rural community.

About the Team/Service/Location

Hāwera Hospital is a vital centre of excellence for rural health, delivering compassionate, integrated care through strong partnerships across primary and secondary services.

We are committed to equity, uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and foster an inclusive, innovative environment where healthcare professionals can grow from undergraduate to postgraduate levels.

As a welcoming workplace with diverse career opportunities, we empower our rural workforce to lead environmentally sustainable, forward-thinking solutions for community wellbeing.

For more information on living and working in Taranaki, click here.

On our team, you will:

• be part of an experienced interdisciplinary team of medical professionals
• work in an accredited Rural Hospital with RHM trainees
• serve a population in need and design systems with a focus on health equity
• work in an integrated way alongside secondary and tertiary services
• be supported by a progressive, friendly organisation
• contribute to future workforce with teaching medical students, opportunities to have honorary lecturer privileges.

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.

How to apply

To apply please click ‘apply now’. All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Rory Kennelly, Head of Department – Hawera ED, GP and Inpatient Unit rory.kennelly@tdhb.org.nz or Kate McCrea, General Manager – STRH kate.mccrea@tdhb.org.nz

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process before the closing date of this advert.

We only accept online applications. Please apply via our website.