General Practice

New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa editor Barbara Fountain gathers together general practice sector reactions to health minister Simeon Brown’s rapid-fire announcements in early March, finding warm welcome giving way to concerns over funding, equity and the feasibility of a performance-linked incentive

PHARMACY SECTOR GROUPS are calling for the Government to continue funding Comprehensive Primary and Community Care Teams.

The Government will fund 120 places for nurse practitioners working in primary care from next year, as well as advanced tertiary education for up to 120 primary care-registered nurses annually

Fitting-out the long-empty medical centre space at Rolleston’s $14.7-million health hub is finally under way, at the same time building begins on another new practice for the Canterbury town 

Issues ranging from a GP’s software problems to COVID restrictions saw a man’s cancer diagnosis delayed and eventually require the removal of a finger and 24 lymph nodes and radiation therapy

Any hopes pinned on a funding boost in Budget 2025 to salvage rural after-hours and emergency services have been dashed by “funding constraints” at the national health agency

The Health and Disability Commissioner has ruled against a locum GP who failed to carry out necessary follow-ups with a woman with a rare genetic disorder who reported complications after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. She died four days later

The General Practice Owners Association is criticising the Government for its lack of action on a revised funding model for general practice 

From next week, Dunedin’s urgent-care centre is turning away patients from practices that aren’t part of the after-hours roster of the local GP guild-owned and operated service

Community pharmacies around New Zealand are being asked to fill the gaps in after-hours services caused by general practice’s workforce crisis. Jody Hopkinson and Jonathan Chilton-Towle report