Colder weather brings all the winter chills out. We are bracing ourselves for ‘flu, RSV and of course COVID-19 surges.

I’m sure by now many of you have already read headlines anywhere from NZ Doctor to Stuff.co.nz regarding the governments offer of 3 per cent increase in capitation funding – against a backdrop of inflation levels of 6.9 per cent.

As Joni Mitchell famously sang, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. When Pinnacle clinicians lost access to high-powered clinical reference tool Dynamed for two weeks last year, Dr Roger Smith quickly realised just how true this was.

Applications for the next annual Midlands Collaborative Registered Nurse Prescribing in Community Health (RNPCH) programme are now open.

While the dollars are certainly promised in this record pledge to New Zealand’s health system, Justin Butcher, Pinnacle acting chief executive, isn’t breathing a full sigh of relief just yet.

Waikato people are quitting smoking in higher numbers than just about anywhere else in Aotearoa New Zealand, and the statistics are particularly positive for Māori and pregnant women in the region.

For the past three decades, Kāwhia’s medical needs have been serviced by Dr John Burton and wife Sue, a qualified medical lab technician. Credit: Brianna Stewart, King Country News

Today Health Minister Andrew Little announced the first nine locality network pilots to improve how healthcare is delivered in local communities. We’re excited to share that Taupō/Tūrangi and Hauraki have been selected in this pilot phase.

Clayton Kohatu (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga and Ngāti Maniapoto) is clearly driven by his kaupapa, and it’s that kaupapa that brings him to our Pinnacle waka as the new network lead for Tairāwhiti.

Join our next intake for Practice Plus, so you can offer your patients an extended after-hours service with a trusted virtual provider. Reduce the demand on your workforce at no cost to your practice!