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NEWS

Important news & updates from Pinnacle

How physician associates are strengthening general practice in Te Awamutu
Pinnacle Incorporated | 18/03/2026

General practice in Aotearoa New Zealand is under sustained pressure, particularly in growing and rural communities. Workforce shortages, rising demand, and an ageing clinical workforce mean many practices are having to rethink how care is delivered.

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Practices
Applications open: Primary and community health workforce development fund
Pinnacle Incorporated | 27/03/2026

On behalf of Hauraki PHO, NHC and Pinnacle, we are seeking kaimahi, working in primary and community care who are interested in further education skills development or study support.

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Education Funding
Midlands Collaborative RNPCH programme reaccredited for another five years
Pinnacle Incorporated | 11/03/2026

Pinnacle MHN, as a member of the Midlands Collaborative, is proud to continue supporting the delivery of the Registered Nurse Prescriber in Community Health (RNPCH) programme across Te Manawa Taki.

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Practices Education
Digital primary care must be treated as critical infrastructure
Pinnacle Incorporated | 06/03/2026

General Practice New Zealand (GPNZ) is calling for enforceable national standards to strengthen the security of digital systems that underpin primary care. The recommendations are outlined in a new position paper, Prevention is protection: Securing digital primary care for the decade ahead, released today.

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Advocacy
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PIN POINTS

Clinical & management notices from the sector

NZSSD webinars 2026
Taranaki | Waikato | Tairāwhiti | Lakes | Clinical | 27/03/2026

New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes (NZSSD) is hosting a series of webinars for the benefit of primary care.

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IV cannulation skills stocktake
Taranaki | Waikato | Tairāwhiti | Lakes | Clinical | Management | 26/03/2026

Te Whatu Ora is asking all practices to complete a brief survey on nurses' IV cannulation, infusion, CVAD, and port access skills. They're requesting one response per practice, by 2 April. This national stocktake will help shape how oncology and infusion services are delivered closer to home for patients and whānau.

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Bowel screening age range extended to 58
Taranaki | Waikato | Tairāwhiti | Lakes | Clinical | Management | 26/03/2026

Free bowel screening is now available from age 58 across most of Aotearoa New Zealand, including the Te Manawa Taki region. Around 100,000 more people will become eligible in the first year. Find out what's changed and how general practice can support the rollout.

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Online GP in urgent and after hours care and rural settings
Taranaki | Waikato | Tairāwhiti | Lakes | Clinical | Management | 26/03/2026

Te Whatu Ora is seeking EOIs from urgent care centres, after hours providers and rural hospitals and rural integrated health services to offer online GP consultations within their facility. This initiative aims to help people who find it difficult to reach or enrol with general practice by allowing them to consult a GP online from an urgent care centre or rural hospital and integrated health service. This EOI is open until 23 April 2026.

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Supporting immunisation for unenrolled tamariki in Waikato
Waikato | Clinical | Management | 20/03/2026

AIR coordinators in Waikato are reviewing unenrolled tamariki who are under-immunised, connecting whānau with community providers and supporting general practice enrolment. Your practice may receive a call from a community immunisation provider as part of this outreach. No action is required from your team unless you're able to assist with this information.

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Integrated care and collaborative leadership webinar recording
Taranaki | Waikato | Tairāwhiti | Lakes | Clinical | Management | 19/03/2026

THINK Hauora and Collaborative Aotearoa recently hosted a webinar exploring what high-performing, place-based integrated primary care looks like in practice. Speakers shared a clear thread that integration is a relational discipline, built on trust, grounded in local context, and is only meaningful when Māori and community voices help shape the way forward. The recording (1.5 hrs) is available for those who'd like to go deeper.

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Pathlab update: HPV dry tube collection swab technique reminders
Waikato | Lakes | Clinical | 16/03/2026

A reminder of correct swab technique for HPV dry tube collection. Breaking the swab at the pink line, not cutting, protects specimen integrity and prevents instrument contamination. Read the full guidance with photographs.

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Comirnaty 30mcg guidance for recording batch details
Taranaki | Waikato | Tairāwhiti | Lakes | Clinical | 16/03/2026

IMAC has been advised that a number of Comirnaty 30mcg vaccine batch lots have been recorded incorrectly in AIR and PMS.

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Pathlab update: Sputum culture in the community setting updated indications
Waikato | Lakes | Clinical | 16/03/2026

Sputum culture is a low-value test in most community settings, with only 6 per cent of samples identifying a respiratory pathogen resistant to first-line antibiotics. New guidance outlines when it is clinically indicated and when to hold off.

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QUICK LINKS

Looking for something?

NZ Shores immigration and recruitment support
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Annual Performance Report 2024–2025
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Pinnacle workforce survey reports 2023
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Dynamed
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Midlands Region Community Health Pathways
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Pharmac medicine notices
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EMA contact details
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EAP Services
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RNZCGP website
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NZMC standards webpage
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Pinnacle Facebook GP discussion group
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Pinnacle Facebook practice manager discussion group
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Pinnacle Facebook nurses discussion group
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EVENTS

Professional development opportunities

LARCs/Ring pessary education
Date: 30 March 2026
Audience: GP | Nurse | Nurse practitioner

Pinnacle is running a series of LARCs education evenings across the region in March 2026. These sessions are open to all clinical general practice staff and will offer introductory training on the insertion of both Mirena and Jadelle contraception devices, alongside the use of ring pessaries.

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LARCs/Ring pessary education
Date: 31 March 2026
Audience: GP | Nurse | Nurse practitioner

Pinnacle is running a series of LARCs education evenings across the region in March 2026. These sessions are open to all clinical general practice staff and will offer introductory training on the insertion of both Mirena and Jadelle contraception devices, alongside the use of ring pessaries.

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Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB): What general practice needs to know
Date: 31 March 2026
Audience: GP | Nurse | Nurse practitioner

AUB is a common presentation in general practice and the national approach to managing it is changing. This HealthPathways webinar introduces updated clinical guidelines and a nationwide rollout to support pipelle biopsy and Mirena insertion in primary care.

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RESOURCES

Useful links, documents and resources

New Pinnacle practice membership benefit: Immigration and recruitment support for our network
Published: 27/03/2026 | 2 links

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.

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ADHD and Waikato Pinnacle primary mental health services
Published: 26/03/2026

Pinnacle primary mental health services have not been commissioned to support adult ADHD screening, assessment, or medication initiation, referrals for these purposes are likely to be declined. Community HealthPathways is the best source for current adult ADHD referral options. Contact us if you're interested in our ADHD provider peer group.

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Understanding the interim information sharing agreement
Published: 26/03/2026 | 3 files | 1 link

Te Whatu Ora is progressing the National Primary Care Dataset and practices are being asked to review an interim Information Sharing Agreement to support the first phase of data collection.

View resource | Download files
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Taranaki
47 Molesworth Street
New Plymouth 4310
+64 6 759 4364
Tairāwhiti
Level 1
295-299 Gladstone Road (entrance via Cobden Street)
Gisborne 4010
PO Box 1188
Gisborne 4040
06 863 2661
Lakes
Level 1
95 Te Heuheu Street
Taupō 3330
PO Box 1716
Taupō 3351
+64 7 376 0060
Waikato
Norris Ward McKinnon House
Level 3
711 Victoria Street
Hamilton 3204
PO Box 983
Hamilton 3240
+64 7 839 2888
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Copyright © 2026 Pinnacle Incorporated
Privacy policy Terms & conditions Practice update dashboard
Copyright © 2026 Pinnacle Incorporated
Privacy policy Terms & conditions Practice update dashboard