Wellington, June 29 NZPA - A significant intake into the Government's voluntary bonding scheme for medical graduates will help address a problem of New Zealand-trained doctors heading to Australia, says Health Minister Tony Ryall.

Wellington, June 27 NZPA - A doctors' union has taken exception to a suggestion that doctors should be charged for medical mistakes as a way to try and reduce the ACC levy load on workers and businesses.

Wellington, June 21 NZPA - Health Minister Tony Ryall must explain what he is doing to stop doctors moving to Australia after recent figures show half of the senior registrars in the last year of training go overseas, Labour MP Ruth Dyson says.

By Amelia Romanos of NZPA Wellington, June 16 NZPA - Health Minister Tony Ryall today defended the amount of extra health funding provided in the budget, saying the Government was operating in a difficult economic environment, when he fronted up to parliamentary select committee.

Wellington, May 21 NZPA - Health Minister Tony Ryall is defending claims the extra health funding announced in yesterday's budget is way short of what is needed and will place the health system under extreme pressure.

Wellington, May 21 NZPA - Health professionals are warning of cuts in services, saying they can't be maintained at current levels with the funding provided in the budget.

Wellington, March 10 NZPA - The outgoing Director-General of Health, Stephen McKernan, says he is not being pushed from his job.

Wellington Feb 23, NZPA - Health Minister Tony Ryall has ignored warnings from senior doctors and nurses in deciding to merge the run-down Southland District Health Board (DHBs) with its Otago counterpart, their union says.

Wellington, Feb 22 NZPA - Labour Party health spokeswoman Ruth Dyson has taken issue with suggestions her party is responsible for New Zealand's shortage of medical specialists getting to such a concerning level.

Wellington, Nov 19 NZPA - Patients will not be able to get treatment because of cuts to health funding, Labour says. However, Health Minister Tony Ryall said there would be no cuts.