A team from Massey University are looking at resilience amongst doctors and nurses in general practice post COVID-19, both as psychological and communicative (enacted) resilience, the impact these have had on organisational culture and identity. Doctors and nurses who worked at the frontline during COVID-19 are sought to undertake an anonymised, 20 minute, one-off survey to be completed at their convenience.

There is currently a nationwide shortage of dental and oral health therapists in Aotearoa New Zealand, and unfortunately this has also affected Taranaki. Taranaki Community Oral Health Service is working to reassure whānau waiting for oral health care that they can still help with dental queries or concerns. They are encouraged to contact their nearest clinic or phone 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 583).

The stock of RA-Morph 1 mg per ml is currently expected to run out during December 2023, leaving a supply gap of around five months for this strength before another provider, Lumacina New Zealand, can enter the market. Read more.

Read the latest from GPNZ including a message from the chair Bryan Betty, GPNZ member forum and AGM recap, introducing Primary Care New Zealand, briefings for the incoming ministers and more.

Te Whatu Ora is leading a national roll out of the Primary Care Resilience Tool (PCRT). Find up to date information, including the national operating framework, general practice user guide, a video, and how you can be included, here.

The persistent pain service is experiencing a significant workforce deficit and are currently limited in service availability and oversight. Unfortunately, the service is currently not in a position to offer first specialist appointments (FSAs) and as such the team has limited availability for new referrals.

As a result of the roll-out of HPV screening delay from July to September, Pathlab is concerned practices may have HPV supplies nearing expiration. Please check all HPV supplies currently held at your practice, in particular the Buffer tubes, as the initial supply of these had an expiry date of early January 2024. If you have supplies expiring in January 2024, and do not think you will use them prior to their expiry date, please return these to your local laboratory for redistribution.

Nurses and nurse practitioners are invited to complete this 5-10 minute Te Whatu Ora survey about becoming a nurse practitioner. The survey is part of an evaluation of pathways to nurse practitioner training and practice. Even if you have not thought about becoming a nurse practitioner your opinions are valuable. The survey is open until 18 December and on completion you will go in the draw to win one of two $100 vouchers.

Pathlab has been working with practices and providers to transition them across to Pathlab's eOrdering system for requesting laboratory orders. On reviewing current usage, they note some practices have not transitioned to the new system. All practices will need to transition to the eOrdering process by 1 March 2024.  A member of the Pathlab team will be reaching out to practices yet to transition in the coming weeks to discuss how they can provide transition support. 

Changes to employment relations legislation are likely to roll out soon, making it a great time to get on the phone to the EMA legal team to check everything is in place with your Individual Employment Agreements and manage any uncertainties. Call 0800 300 362 before 22 December for a free 30-minute legal consultation, subject to availability. Or book directly online.