This week we are announcing a strategic partnership between Pinnacle Incorporated and K'aute Pasifika, forming a new venture named Fatu Lalaga. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in our shared commitment to provide excellent and equitable healthcare for Pacific, Māori, and priority populations.

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.

With the annual increase in funding for general practices falling well short of expectations, it’s difficult not to be cynical about the future of primary healthcare in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Some big changes are coming to the support the government is providing to manage the impact of COVID-19 in the community.

A recent study by the Centre for Health Systems and Technology at the University of Otago, commissioned by General Practice New Zealand, has revealed the urgent need to address unmet healthcare needs and variations in referral declined rates in New Zealand.

On 30 May 2024 the coalition government delivered Budget '24, allocating around $2.1b to primary and community care. While any additional investment in primary care is welcome, the devil of this budget will be in the detail.

Youth Week recognise the youth workers, youth service providers and others working with and for rangatahi. We'd like to say ngā mihi nui to our team doing the mahi, supporting rangatahi to enhance their wellbeing, resilience, readiness to learn, and academic success.

World Family Doctor Day, on Sunday 19 May, is an occasion to highlight the intrinsic connection between the health of our planet and the wellbeing of our patients, emphasising the critical role primary healthcare can play in promoting sustainable health practices. We hope you enjoy this quick video message from our clinical director, Dr Jo Scott-Jones.

On Sunday 12 May we celebrate International Nurses Day to remember Florence Nightingale, the Mother of Modern Nursing, and her many contributions to our profession. It’s appropriate that this year on the same day, we also celebrate Mother's Day.

Pinnacle strongly disagrees with claims by Te Whatu Ora at a Building the Future of Health webinar series on Tuesday 7 May that up to 50 per cent of general practice work could be done by telehealth.