Read the latest clinical updates for Taranaki including recent BPAC (Best Practice) referral updates.

APEX union members will take staggered strike action between Saturday 22 and Friday 28 March, 2025.

Affecting lab testing across Te Manawa Taki, APEX union members from Awanui will walk off the job from 25 to 27 March, while Pathlab workers will go on strike from 24 to 26 March and Medlab/TLab workers from 22 to 28 March.

For the latest updates on lab services in your area, please check the website(s) of the pathology labs you use.

Consultation is currently open focused on the 50,000 disabled people, and their whānau, who receive essential disability support after an assessment from a Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordination (NASC) organisation, or
an Enabling Good Lives (EGL) site. Disability Support Services want to stabilise disability support services so that they are fairer, more consistent, more transparent, and sustainable into the future.

The number of ear swabs submitted to Pathlab for microbiological processing has steadily increased over the last few years. The external auditory canal is not a sterile site, and the value of microbiological culture in the routine management of otitis externa and chronic suppurative otitis media is limited. Pathlab has outlined the situations they recommend ear swabs are sent to the laboratory.

The National Public Health Service (NPHS) is requesting healthcare professionals to be alert for mpox in people who attended the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras events from 14 February to 2 March 2025.

The Medical Council of New Zealand has responded to frequently asked questions about patients requesting copies of their medical records and clarified the following information.

In October 2024, Te Whatu Ora released an interim statement regarding the lifespan of pharmaceutical fridges for vaccine storage that have reached 10 years of age. The statement confirms that providers with a fridge that is reaching 10 years can continue to use the fridge and do not need to replace it as previously required. However, there is a requirement the monitoring of the vaccine fridge is changed to a remote monitoring system. Read more here.

This webinar explores sustainability in the healthcare sector. Representatives from Aotearoa New Zealand-based healthcare organisations Hato Hone St John, Tū Ora Compass Health, and Wise Group shared about their sustainability journeys, key learnings and advice, and the link between healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy planet.

Two of the Registered Nurse Prescribing Awards are open for applications. More information on all of the grants, including relevant criteria, can be found on the NZSSD website.