We’ve been advised by Te Whatu Ora that members of the NZNO and PSA unions are planning industrial action between 17 November and 7 December, including a planned four-hour strike involving PSA nurses, allied health and PAKS staff on Friday 28 November, 1–5pm.

Pathlab is changing its coeliac disease testing algorithm and will no longer perform upfront total IgA testing on all coeliac requests. From 11 November 2025, total IgA will only be added when results suggest possible IgA deficiency, with anti-DGP IgG continuing to be added automatically when IgA is <0.05 g/L. This updated approach aligns with published evidence and current practice at Canterbury Health Laboratories.

An updated guide on MMR vaccine eligibility for primary and community care providers is now available on the Te Whatu Ora website. The update covers funded access for people not eligible for publicly funded healthcare (including Registered Seasonal Employees), use of private-market MMR vaccine, prioritisation guidance, and adult catch-up recommendations. 

To ensure GPs have timely access to accurate clinical advice, Te Whatu Ora's obstetrics and gynaecology service now has a consultant taking calls from general practice.

The Mason Durie Pae Ora Scholarship supports Māori students pursuing study in mental health, addiction, and allied health. This scholarship, valued at up to $20,000, is open to tauira Māori who are current or aspiring leaders committed to advancing hauora Māori and strengthening the wellbeing of hapori Māori. Applications close at 5pm on Sunday 30 November.

The New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine (NZGSM) at the University of Waikato is inviting clinicians to apply for a range of new leadership roles. Positions can be undertaken face-to-face, online, or in a hybrid format, offering flexibility alongside clinical practice. NZGSM is especially keen to build a leadership team that reflects the diverse clinical expertise found across the motu.

The recent Te Whatu Ora webinar on capitation reweighting outlined progress toward an updated capitation formula that better reflects the real needs of communities. The webinar recording, slides and Q&A summary are now available.

A reminder practices should not send patients with suspected measles to community collection labs for testing. If a patient with possible measles presents to your practice, please complete the testing on-site in accordance with current guidelines, and notify the Ministry of Health of any suspected cases.

Bay of Plenty/Waikato Faculty of RNZCGP invites all GPs (including non-faculty members) and GP registrars in the GPEP programme (years 1-3) to register for collegial support service – Ka Hono.