Dr Gina Kaye is the Taranaki GP lead, joining the Taranaki Pinnacle team in April this year. Gina moved down to New Plymouth from West Auckland where she was a partner in a busy VLCA practice for 15 years. If you have thoughts, feedback or concerns please feel welcome to contact Gina via email.
Where urgent joint fluid results are required for patients presenting with acute joint pain and swelling, urgent joint aspirates should be forwarded to Taranaki Base Hospital Laboratory for examination.
The hospital laboratory can be accessed either by sending the sample directly or via the Awanui Labs courier system.
Please indicate clearly on the request form that urgent analysis is required. This only applies to urgent joint aspirates, for routine aspirate analysis forward to Awanui Labs using your current practice.
You must have access to the hospital concerto results portal to be able to view interim results from Taranaki Base Hospital Laboratory. Please contact Te Whatu Ora GP liaison Landi Cranstoun for access if required.
A new national orthopaedic musculoskeletal pathway has been created to reduce the waiting time for patients to be seen. The pathway will support patients who are referred to Te Whatu Ora Health NZ orthopaedic services for an assessment.
Following triage by the orthopaedic service, patients will be offered the most clinically appropriate outcome.
Patients may receive a first specialist assessment (FSA) by either an orthopaedic senior medical officer (SMO) through the standard pathway or an advanced clinical practice physiotherapist through the musculoskeletal pathway.
Te Whatu Ora is removing the Taranaki Orthopaedic Triage Service (TOTS) referral option from BPAC and from 1 October 2024 there will be one referral option under orthopaedics.
The Taranaki Motor Neuron Disease Support Group is pleased to host 'Motor Neuron Disease: Triggers and therapeutics in the New Zealand context' on Wednesday 13 November, 7pm. Local GPs are encouraged to join the MND Taranaki support group for this talk.
This evening on Tuesday 26 November will be a quickfire presentation style event, where non-government organisations will have 5 minutes each to present on the scope of their services, and build awareness and connections with GPs on possible services they can refer patients to.
Dr Jo Scott-Jones shares his thoughts on the workforce crisis, likening it to the perceived impossibility of the Chernobyl disaster.
Read moreThe Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners supports research and education that benefits general practice, rural general practice and rural hospital medicine through three funding rounds each year. Applications for the final funding round of 2024 are now open.
Read moreThis new programme is a collaboration between Te Runanga o Kirikiriroa (Facilitation Service) and general practices.
View detailsGPs in each of our districts get frustrated when they hit barriers when seeking interventions from other providers. There is a perception that DHB services are becoming more difficult to access and that different DHBs have different levels of service available to their communities. This page outlines our process for advocating alongside practices.