Highlighting the push and the pull: a comparison of New Zealand and United Kingdom resident doctor contracts.

The United Kingdom (UK) resident doctor workforce faces escalating pressures, including pay erosion, intense competition for training posts, rota instability and high burnout risk. While remuneration has dominated industrial disputes, comparatively less attention has been paid to the impact of contractual worker protections and day-to-day working conditions on morale and retention. Drawing on lived experience of working as resident doctors in both the UK and New Zealand, this article compares key elements of national employment contracts and collective agreements. We examine differences in annual leave autonomy, rota publication and enforcement mechanisms, staffing resilience through "relief" roles, cross-cover remuneration, access to personal medical appointments, reimbursement of mandatory professional expenses, meal provision and structured support for examination preparation and career progression. Although UK pay structures recognise antisocial hours, New Zealand contracts embed wider protections that promote flexibility, professional development and workforce wellbeing. We suggest that these comparatively low-cost, system-level interventions contribute meaningfully to higher reported satisfaction and improved retention among New Zealand resident doctors. Adopting similar contractual safeguards within the UK may represent an achievable and cost-effective strategy to enhance morale, reduce attrition and strengthen long-term workforce sustainability within the National Health Service.