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NZ Rural General Practice Network chair Dr Fiona Bolden.
Dr Fiona Bolden says the rural health services are under huge pressure.
She says there are plenty of places where you can't even see a GP at all and adds that rural hospitals are having real difficulty trying to see people.
Bolden says many in the rural health workforce are coming up for retirement and have just about had enough. But she says many are staying on out of a sense of responsibility to their communities and many are burnt out.
"The rural health service is limping along on the good will of its people and is further complicated by what's happening with nursing," she told Rural News. "Nurses working in practices get paid far less than those working for the DHBs and practices get no funding for nurses."
Rural News did approach the Minister of Health's office for comment, but they did not respond.
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