A group of new graduate nurses recently attended an orientation day as part of Pinnacle’s longstanding nurse graduate programme, a unique initiative designed to support and strengthen the primary care nursing workforce.
Read morePinnacle welcomes the focus on strengthening primary care access, investment in general practice, and commitments to digital health infrastructure.
Read moreYesterday’s announcement in funding to boost primary care nursing is a well-deserved and much-needed investment in the sector. This initiative will help strengthen the workforce, improve access to care, and support the communities that rely on us.
Read morePinnacle welcomes the lowering of the age of eligibility for free bowel screening to 58 as a positive step toward earlier cancer detection, however, reallocating funding from the targeted Māori and Pasifika programme is inherently inequitable.
Read moreThe Ministry of Social Development has developed a helpful new resource – Useful Tips for Health Providers – to support general practice teams in understanding and communicating what services are available to help patients.
Read moreVarenicline tablets (Champix) to support smoking cessation has been relisted on the pharmaceutical schedule. This medicine has been unavailable since 2021 due to manufacturing impurities which have now been rectified.
Read moreThis RNZCGP and RANZCOG-approved course is designed to empower GPs and nurse practitioners to avoid overwhelm, while giving effective care to patients with persistent pelvic pain, including endometriosis and adenomyosis.
Read moreRead the latest clinical updates for Taranaki including a database of NGOs operating within Taranaki.
Read moreDue to workload increase and capacity constraints in Pathlab's refrigerated stockyard, they are no longer able to store blood samples for the previous duration of seven days. Effective immediately, serum samples will be stored for four days and EDTA samples will be stored for two days. Please ensure that any required follow-up testing or additional requests are submitted within the revised storage timeframes to avoid potential issues.
Read moreLater this year, the team at Waikato University Student Health are planning a professional development day for all general practitioners and nurse practitioners, focussed on mental health. They're looking for feedback on topics to cover during this workshop. If you have comment and/or critique on their proposed topics, please contact Steven Lillis, Student Health GP.
Read moreMacrolide-resistant Bordetella pertussis (MRBP) has recently been detected by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) and is an emerging issue in Aotearoa New Zealand. The NPHS is currently assessing the situation and gathering expert local and international opinion. Further advice will follow when available.
Read moreThere has been an increase in reported vaccine errors, particularly due to the incorrect spacing of the Bexsero vaccine doses. It has been recognised that the Patient Management Systems often fail to recognise when a Bexsero dose is administered late, subsequently not accounting for the required 8-week or 6-month intervals. To assist with ensuring the correct scheduling of the Bexsero vaccine, the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) has provided an error warning document.
Read moreAPEX union members will take staggered strike action between Saturday 22 and Friday 28 March, 2025.
Affecting lab testing across Te Manawa Taki, APEX union members from Awanui will walk off the job from 25 to 27 March, while Pathlab workers will go on strike from 24 to 26 March and Medlab/TLab workers from 22 to 28 March.
For the latest updates on lab services in your area, please check the website(s) of the pathology labs you use.
An opportunity to bring any questions you might have around individual indicators and what is needed to meet them. It'll also be an opportunity to learn from other Pinnacle practice colleagues and Pinnacle staff.
View eventThe ACC MRI pathways support GPs and nurse practitioners to make direct referrals for MRIs, for patients who have had a course of active physiotherapy.
View eventThis webinar will provide an opportunity to connect with Justin Butcher and hear the latest PHO updates, along with an exciting announcement that Pinnacle is partnering with NZ Shores to offer a streamlined recruitment and immigration service for general practices across our network.
View eventJo Scott-Jones and Dave Maplesden discuss prescribing testosterone, medical tourism and ACC treatment injury cover, patient access to their clinical records, and more.
Pinnacle has partnered with NZ Shores to offer a streamlined recruitment and immigration service for general practices across our network. NZ Shores is a specialist immigration and recruitment agency that assists employers and skilled migrants in navigating New Zealand’s immigration system, bringing a smooth and compliant process for hiring internationally trained professionals.
We’ve enhanced the network performance dashboard in Power BI to better support how practices work.