Practice management toolkit

Regular practice management hui are held within each region. These are open to those managing general practices - practice managers, businesses managers and CEOs. Admin leads may also be interested in these hui.

Practice management hui are chaired by the regional development managers. Meetings include agenda items from Pinnacle and practices. This is an opportunity to ask questions of both Pinnacle staff and your colleagues, hear updates on current issues or presentations from service providers both within Pinnacle and the community.

• Waikato PM meetings: Monthly             
• Lakes/Tairāwhiti: Bi-monthly
• South Taranaki: Bi-monthly
• North Taranaki: Bi-monthly

Contact your development manager for more information or to add an agenda item to the next meeting.           

The manual has been designed to assist the practice manager, business manager or CEO of a general practice. The manual will support staff new to primary care and/or general practice, supplementing practice specific information and practice desk files.   

The manual aims to assist new staff in their pivotal role in primary care with links to: 

• government health agencies 
• Pinnacle services
• training 
• funding and legislation 
• Te Tiriti and equity.  

Ownership / development / maintenance

Owners: The Strategic Development Team own this manual, are responsible for ensuring it is updated and it remains relevant to general practice. 

Development: Developed by Heather Lang and Yvonne Wright, with input and review by Pinnacle colleagues. Ongoing development will include a review in six months, including feedback from practice management.

Maintenance: With support from Pinnacle peers, development managers are responsible for maintenance of the manual, with regular six monthly reviews to ensure the content is current and links are maintained.  

For most practices, their revenue comes predominantly from the services they provide to their patients through capitation and other PHO funding streams. Contracts held with Te Whatu Ora and ACC will also contribute to practice income. Your practice may receive some/all of the following monthly or quarterly payments (see 'Files and links' below).

Practice management encompasses a wide range of tasks within the general practice. The task tracker is tool to assist practice managers to keep a track of what tasks need to be done, when and by whom.

The task tracker can be customised to each practice's requirements, and can be broken down by areas such as admin, reception, nurses. 

The Tracker is an Excel document with macros. We recommend you work with your IT provider when using and enabling macros.

To obtain a copy of the Practice Management Task Tracker please contact Practice Systems Support or your Development Manager.

See files and links below for training videos and manuals showing how to use the tool and, for practice managers, how to customise the tool for your practice and practice staff.

Owner: Practice Development Team.

Disclaimer

This Excel file contains macros that may automate certain tasks. By using this file, you acknowledge that macros are enabled at your own risk. Ensure the file comes from a trusted source and be aware that macros can pose security risks. The creator is not responsible for any data loss, system errors, or damages resulting from the use of this file.    

Practice management roles can differ, depending on boundaries and scope. The Practice management competency framework has been created to strengthen and support the vital role of practice management. It outlines the key responsibilities involved in ensuring the practice operates efficiently, effectively, and safely, promoting the wellbeing of patients and staff while enabling the smooth day‑to‑day running of all practice activities. 

The framework consists of three levels of career development and five core skills of career development, with links to resources. This has been sent to practices via the Pinnacle practice portal (26 Feb 2026). 

“Historically PM's get very little guidance and training and the more we invest in them the better the overall result for all aspects of the business.” 

“It is not always clear what the expectations are and what is the scope you are expected to work within [in practice management], especially when brand new and just starting out. It is not always easy to try and find the training or answers yourself either, so providing these resources is gold.”

“This is going to be a great resource and I am very excited that this is being developed.” 

- Kathy Phillips, Regional practice manager, PHCL Grandview.

Mentoring is a great tool to support new practice managers, especially those new to healthcare, as they find their feet. We've identified existing mentoring programmes that may be accessible to practice managers, with a focus on structured, one-on-one mentorship models.

This session (held 17 July 2025), tailored for practice managers and admin staff, covers real-world challenges, practical tips to streamline workflows, reporting insights, and includes an open Q&A for shared problem-solving.

The funding of health services, from Te Whatu Ora and Pinnacle can be confusing for practice management staff. This presentation by Justin Butcher aims to provide practice staff with:

• an overview of the funding flows from Te Whatu Ora to Pinnacle
• what funding Pinnacle passes on directly to general practices
• how discretionary funding is utilised by Pinnacle.