Temporary work absence for parental leave: a qualitative study of New Zealand general practitioners’ parental leave experiences

INTRODUCTION: Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) has a significant general practitioner (GP) workforce shortage, which will increase with the large number of GPs retiring shortly. Early and mid-career GPs who will absorb this shortfall are largely women, and many will take a temporary work absence to have children. AIM: This article explores the experiences of GPs in NZ who take a temporary work absence for parental leave, focusing on challenges and facilitators, and how this understanding might inform workforce planning and policy. METHODS: A total of 137 participants contributed to an online qualitative survey about their experience of taking and returning from parental leave. Template analysis was used to develop a template and identify themes. RESULTS: Three identified themes encompassed the experience of parental leave, a return to work, and associated consequences. The reality of conflicting obligations and unexpected barriers as a parenting GP was a further integrative theme. DISCUSSION: This first study on GP parental leave in NZ reveals that parenthood influences career decisions, leave factors, and post-leave work patterns. General practice settings offer partial support, but reduced hours and role changes (including a shift towards narrower scope or episodic care) limit career progression and earning potential, disincentivising parenting GPs. With many GPs nearing retirement, the reality of current parental leave policies and general practice models that poorly accommodate GP parents risk exacerbating the primary care workforce crisis.