Abstract
Health workforce challenges negatively impact health service delivery. In Aotearoa New Zealand, instability in the physiotherapy workforce, including poor retention, a shortage of experienced clinicians, and under-representation of physiotherapists from priority populations, is potentially compromising the quality and continuity of patient care. This study aimed to describe the composition, working patterns, and turnover intentions of the public health physiotherapy workforce, i.e., those employed by Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora, providing baseline data to inform retention and diversity strategies, as well as future research. Data were collected via a national e-survey distributed through unions and open to all physiotherapists employed by Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora. The response rate was 47.9% (n = 578), representing approximately 46.6% of the workforce. Of the participants, 5.9% were Māori, 2.4% Pacific, and 10.2% identified as disabled people. A majority (59.3%) had over 10 years of career experience, 60.7% worked full-time, 51.7% worked overtime, 56.6% supervised students, and 49.3% contributed to the out-of-hours rota. Using survey weighting, it is estimated that 39.6% of the Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora workforce have intentions to leave their job and 19.4% often or always consider leaving the profession. These findings reveal a workforce with complex roles and responsibilities. The high proportion of intention to leave signals a workforce under pressure and in need of urgent attention. Future research is needed to explore physiotherapists’ experiences of the current practice environment and determine what factors influence turnover intention.