The purpose of this funding is to establish a regular after-hours Waikato immunisation service, for childhood immunisations, in the evening (e.g. 5-7pm) or at weekends.

Drive-throughs aren’t just for fast food — they’re now making healthcare quicker and more accessible too.

Te Whatu Ora's decision to halt the age extension of bowel screening for Māori and Pasifika peoples in Waikato from 4 December has left many without access to potentially life-saving tests.

The National Public Health Service and the Public Health Agency have declared a national pertussis epidemic. Te Whatu Ora is asking healthcare professionals to please remain vigilant for people presenting with symptoms and to continue to promote vaccinations to protect vulnerable groups. Pinnacle has compiled information and resources for practice teams.

Bronwyn Dennis, kaimanaaki Waikato, joined Pinnacle in March 2024. This role is designed to be a navigator of manaakitanga, building trusting relationships with iwi, mana whenua and whānau and is modelled on aroha, values and respect.

When wāhine get together, and the subject turns to health, chances are one of the things they mention is how they hate going to the doctor for cervical screening.

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 Whether the legislation is amended, unchanged, or repealed, we will continue working alongside others to advocate in this space.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.