From 1 July 2026, registration fees will be reintroduced for many IMAC vaccinator training courses. This is a return to IMAC's business-as-usual model, following the end of temporary funding from Te Whatu Ora that had enabled full fee subsidies.

Te Whatu Ora is alerting clinicians to a continued rapid rise in HIV diagnoses in Fiji, with 2,013 new cases reported in 2025, up from 245 in 2022. Cases linked to the Fiji outbreak have been reported in Aotearoa New Zealand.

University of Waikato researchers are seeking primary, community, and rural nurses who worked in Tairāwhiti during Cyclone Hale and/or Cyclone Gabrielle to share their experiences in a confidential one-on-one interview. Your insights will contribute to future disaster response, practice, education, and policy.

A few updates from the Waikato Primary Mental Health team: Dr Tony Muller is on leave 22–26 June; adults aged 65 and over become eligible for Packages of Care through the Primary Mental Health brief intervention, counselling and psychology services from 1 July; and a GP Satisfaction Survey is on its way. Please also remember to check patients' telehealth capacity before submitting referrals, it makes a real difference to wait times and access.

Toni Muller, mental health nurse and triage clinician, is offering monthly clinical supervision to practice nurses. This will be a confidential, supportive space to discuss complex cases, reflect on practice, and grow your mental health knowledge. Sessions run for one hour via Teams; individual supervision can also be arranged.

Te Pūao Mātai Pukupuku / The New Zealand Society for Oncology has launched a free oncology immunotoxicity webinar series, bringing together national and international experts to help health professionals identify, manage, and understand immunotherapy toxicities.

Pathlab has updated its guidance on wound swab indications as part of its commitment to diagnostic stewardship. Swabs add clinical value in a defined set of scenarios, and the e-ordering menu will be updated to reflect this. Read on for the full list of indications and advice on when wound swabs are unlikely to be of benefit.

Slides and video are now available from last week's webinar on the new primary care health target, held by Te Whatu Ora. The session tackled critical issues facing the sector such as general practice workforce constraints and patient access challenges. It also outlined the tactical action plan and data measurement frameworks being implemented to ensure 80 per cent of New Zealanders can access a GP appointment within a week. If you missed it, check out these resources.

The University of Auckland is recruiting GP peer groups across Te Manawa Taki / Midlands to participate in a focus group study on how general practitioners approach the menopause transition. The one-hour sessions will be held at a location convenient to the group, facilitated by a vocationally registered GP researcher. Read on for full participation details and study documentation.