A group of new graduate nurses recently attended an orientation day as part of Pinnacle’s longstanding nurse graduate programme, a unique initiative designed to support and strengthen the primary care nursing workforce.
Read morePinnacle welcomes the focus on strengthening primary care access, investment in general practice, and commitments to digital health infrastructure.
Read moreYesterday’s announcement in funding to boost primary care nursing is a well-deserved and much-needed investment in the sector. This initiative will help strengthen the workforce, improve access to care, and support the communities that rely on us.
Read morePinnacle welcomes the lowering of the age of eligibility for free bowel screening to 58 as a positive step toward earlier cancer detection, however, reallocating funding from the targeted Māori and Pasifika programme is inherently inequitable.
Read moreA new formulation of insulin will be available from 1 May 2025. Ryzodeg® 70/30 contains insulin degludec (an ultra-long-acting insulin) and insulin aspart (rapid acting mealtime insulin) administered in one injection. This is licensed for patients aged 6 years and over. This is the first true long-acting insulin funded in Aotearoa. It has an elimination half-life of 25 hours, so remains in the body for a few days. Ryzodeg® 70/30 insulin must therefore only be injected up to a maximum of twice daily, with particular care taken when prescribing for the elderly population.
Read moreTe Whatu Ora has received notice that senior doctors who are Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) members plan to strike for 24 hours on Thursday 1 May (from 00.01am to 23.59pm). The nationwide strike is planned for all Te Whatu Ora hospitals and services where ASMS members are employed.
Read moreBay 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.
Read moreThe National Cervical Screening Programme has advised that on 31 March Awanui identified a technical issue with their HPV testing system and paused all outgoing messages while working to resolve it. If you receive a result that shows HG cytology, please refer to colposcopy. Do not wait for HPV results.
Read moreRead the latest clinical updates for Taranaki including the opening and education session with Active+ and a database of NGOs operating within Taranaki.
Read moreThe provision of extended immunisation services is part of the kaupapa to improve childhood immunisation rates by offering services at a time that suit whānau who cannot attend during regular practice hours.
These practices will offer childhood immunisations to both enrolled and non-enrolled whānau. Whānau are encouraged to contact these clinics directly to enquire about attending as booking in advance is preferable, however they will also accept walk ins.
Some users are experiencing issues with éclair eOrders, including slowness and timeouts. Pathlab has resolved most known issues but is still monitoring for others. There may be some ongoing issues for several weeks around available patient history.
Read moreVarenicline tablets (Champix) to support smoking cessation has been relisted on the pharmaceutical schedule. This medicine has been unavailable since 2021 due to manufacturing impurities which have now been rectified.
Read moreThis RNZCGP and RANZCOG-approved course is designed to empower GPs and nurse practitioners to avoid overwhelm, while giving effective care to patients with persistent pelvic pain, including endometriosis and adenomyosis.
Read moreThe Ministry of Health has introduced standards for B4SC training, recommending 24 hours of initial training for new B4SC nurses. The assessments as well as supervised practice makes up for the hours uncounted. This training is for Waikato region only.
View eventThis year’s theme, “Empowerment”, will shine a spotlight on strategies and success stories that enable rural communities and health professionals to take charge of their health and create a sustainable future.
View eventTe Kaunihera Tapuhi o Aotearoa | Nursing Council of New Zealand recently published updated scopes of practice and standards of competence. These webinars will discuss these changes, answer any questions, and help nurses better understand the new scopes and standards.
View eventThere is significant interest by general practice in using AI tools to reduce the amount of time GPs and other practitioners spend on writing up consultations. The following guidance is designed to support AI use in practice.
From support with new role implementation such as primary care assistants (PCAs) to mapping and redesign of current processes such as repeat prescribing processes, your local Pinnacle development manager can support your changing practice needs.
MSD want to work alongside health and disability practitioners to improve opportunities for people now and in the future. MSD will work with providers to get people back to work when they're able.