The purpose of the Waikato Support to Screening - cervical service is to provide targeted follow-up, community outreach and support to priority group women, and people with a cervix, who have barriers to accessing cervical screening.

We received 40 responses to our survey on the new government’s 100-day action plan, and the repeal of SERPA and Smokefree 2025 legislation. Thank you to everyone who took time to respond. While 40 is not a large amount given the number of general practice staff across the network, the feedback does align with what we are hearing directly from practices, and gives us a good understanding of where our advocacy efforts need to be.

We eagerly await the launch of the new government’s 100-day action plan, particularly on health. Whether the legislation is amended, unchanged, or repealed, we will continue working alongside others to advocate in this space.

A pilot collaboration has highlighted the power of working together to provide more responsive services that better engage families around childhood vaccination.  

A pop-up health clinic has been providing people with the health and screening services they need, after the Pinnacle smoking cessation and screening team noticed lower rates of health screening uptake caused by COVID-19 disruption.

Where possible, we encourage practices to keep MMR immunisation a priority in conjunction with other timely vaccinations for influenza and COVID-19. To support practices with this, data lists of children with less than two recorded MMR’s on the National Immunisation Record have been made available to all practices today.

Initially published by NZ Doctor, Jo Scott-Jones discusses what you can do to reduce the number of phone calls, prescriptions and consultations for respiratory illnesses this winter.

Jo Scott-Jones discusses how it's now easier than ever to act on an eligible bowel screening patient prompt and order a FIT kit for priority populations and those residing in deprivation 9 and 10.

Brian Gallie is looking forward to getting back outside. The Taranaki local talks enthusiastically about the new waterproof gear he just got. “When this rain stops I’m going to go outside and walk around the place, see what I can do.”

Waikato people are quitting smoking in higher numbers than just about anywhere else in Aotearoa New Zealand, and the statistics are particularly positive for Māori and pregnant women in the region.