In his latest blog post, Dr Jo Scott-Jones shares his thoughts on what general practice needs from Physician Associate regulation to enable effective, safe teamwork that supports high-quality patient care. The Medical Council consultation closes 16 February 2026.
Read moreIn his latest blog post, Dr Jo Scott-Jones reflects on his experiences travelling between Gisborne and Ōpōtiki during a recent land slip, sharing the lessons it offered about preparedness, connection, and how unexpected disruption can sharpen our learning.
Read morePinnacle has noted the approval of a new primary health organisation, thePHO, and says practices should have genuine choice about who represents them. At the same time, Pinnacle believes this decision raises concerns about the timing and wider impact on population health.
Read moreA new programme launched at Huntly College last week is intended to give rangatahi more time, space and support to find their strengths in their own communities, especially when the usual classroom model is not working for them.
Read moreThe World Health Organisation has reported two cases of Nipah virus infection in West Bengal, India, with no evidence of international spread and very low risk to Aotearoa. Travellers to affected areas should avoid contact with sick animals (especially fruit bats and pigs), raw date palm juice, and unwashed fruit, while practicing good hand hygiene. Read the National Public Health Service advisory for full details.
Read moreAlongside Te Whata Kura, the new national antimicrobial guideline for Aotearoa New Zealand, Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission has published new national guidance for the recognition and initial management of sepsis in community and hospital settings. Useful pathway posters for adults and children outline red and amber flags plus the "Sepsis Six" actions. Community HealthPathways will be updated to align with this guidance soon.
Read moreSignificant dengue outbreaks across the Pacific have resulted in 86 cases in Aotearoa so far in 2026, with 75 linked to Cook Islands travel. Consider dengue if your patient is a recent traveller to a Pacific Island and presents with flu-like illness, rash, or gastrointestinal symptoms and watch for warning signs of severe illness. Advise travellers to use DEET mosquito repellent, and refer to Community HealthPathways for full management details.
Read moreThis eight week course comprises 150 hours of learning equating to approximately 10 hours of study per week. The aim of this micro credential is to develop participant's proficiency in the principles, knowledge and practice of trauma informed care, when caring for people with multidimensional experiences of trauma, and their whānau.
Read moreAdvance your nursing practice and help improve cervical screening equity across Aotearoa. This EIT-delivered micro-credential supports registered nurses to gain the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to become accredited cervical sample takers under the National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP).
Read moreTe Whatu Ora has initiated a national incident response following severe adverse events linked to faulty Freestyle Libre 3 Plus sensors. Read more about this and how to support affected patients.
Read morePathlab is receiving a significant number of LBC samples with either labelling issues or the samples collection devices being incorrectly placed in the wrong well. They ask practices please ensure accurate and consistent sample collection using the following processes.
Read moreTechnology for all people living with type 1 (T1) diabetes has been fully funded since October 2024, with 66 per cent of people with T1 in Waikato now using Automated Insulin Delivery (AID). If you have patients with T1 not using an insulin pump, please discuss the benefits of AID and refer them to the Regional Diabetes Service via BPAC for assessment and support.
Read moreOn 4 December 2025, the director general of health published a new Gazette notice listing the prescription medicines registered nurses prescribing in primary health and specialty teams (registered nurse prescribers) are permitted to prescribe (the medicine list). Overall, the new medicines list extends the availability of medicines that nurses are able to prescribe. The list has been extended by an additional 202 medicines.
Read moreJoin this Te Whatu Ora webinar to learn about the introduction of the National Primary Care Dataset and how it will support improved understanding of access to GP services. The session will also include an update on the rollout of the Shared Digital Health Record.
View eventThis online series will provide a dedicated forum for practice nurses to access professional development, receive timely network updates, and connect with peers.
View eventPinnacle, in partnership with the Heart Foundation NZ, is bringing a practical workshop to Lakes in February. Join nurse lead Leonie Cowie and the Heart Foundation team to explore the latest guidance on CVD risk assessment, management, and prevention.
View eventSince 2008, the Pinnacle New Graduate Nurse Programme has helped practices support new graduate nurses with funding, workshops, and peer support. In 2025, a key change was introduced with the launch of a new national funding stream from Te Whatu Ora, aimed at supporting up to 400 graduate registered nurses across primary care, community, and rural health settings.
Legislation is currently being amended to allow prescribers to in certain circumstances prescribe 12-months of medication.
This page holds resources to support training and delivery of the B4 School Check in Waikato.