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Health Care Assistant - Job outlook

Kaiāwhina Tapuhi

Kathryn Davies helping a resident to walk.

What are the chances of getting a job?

The combination of rising demand and falling employee numbers means there are many vacancies for health care assistants, particularly in the aged care and mental health sectors.

Demand for health care assistants is increasing due to:

an ageing population requiring more health care
pressure on overloaded hospitals to discharge patients early – and these people still need care at home
more people wanting to look after their family/whānau at home, and requiring help
the increasing age of health care assistants, with many nearing retirement.

Number of health care assistants falling

While the demand for health care assistants is increasing, the number of people doing this job has been falling steadily, down 46% between 1996 and 2006. This may be due to the relatively low level of pay for what is a demanding job. People also traditionally look to caring roles later in life, so it is hard to attract young people into the role.

Shortage of health care assistants

There is a nationwide shortage of people in this role, with employers reporting difficulty recruiting and retaining workers. Some district health boards have been using health care assistants to ease the burden on registered nurses, as hospital managers struggle to fill shifts from existing staff and temporary nurses.

Number of health care assistants in New Zealand
(1996, 2001, 2006)
Census	Number of health care assistants
1996	8,388
2001	6,399
2006	4,533
Source: Department of Labour, Jobs and Tertiary Education Indicator Tool.

"The shortage of health care assistants is nationwide – a lot of care providers are struggling to find staff. So prospects for employment are good. If you want a job in this industry, you can get one."

Ringa Brown - Healthcare Assistant Team Leader

What types of employers can I work for?

Health care assistants generally help nurses and other health care professionals. The top five employers of health care assistants are:

medical and dental services (34% of health care assistants)
hospitals and nursing homes (29%)
community care services (17%)
other health services (8%)
other business services (2%).

Where can I do this job?

Health care assistants work throughout New Zealand. However, most are based in the areas of greatest population:

Auckland (23%)
Canterbury (15%)
Wellington (10%)
Waikato (9%).

There are also positions available for health care assistants to the elderly in popular retirement areas such as Hawke's Bay and the Bay of Plenty.

What is happening in this job?

Although health care assistants generally receive training on entering the job, the role is unregulated (not covered by legislation). The Ministry of Health is looking at introducing a registration authority, professional code of ethics and legally enforceable professional codes of practice for health care assistants.

This would lead to health care assistants studying for certification, which would increase and standardise their salary. However, it might also decrease the number of people applying for these jobs, as some might not be able to afford study costs.