The Registered Nurse Prescribing Development Grant 2 is now open for applications. Information on the criteria and how to apply can be found on the NZSSD website. Applications close 6 December.

There has been a significant increase in Pertussis cases across the motu, which Te Whatu Ora is asking healthcare professionals to be alert to. For the month of September 2024, there were 187 confirmed, probable and suspect cases notified. ESR’s assessment is that the overall risk of a national pertussis outbreak is high.

Pathlab is now testing human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) tumour marker requests.

From 1 October 2024, invasive group A streptococcal infection (iGAS) has been added to Aotearoa New Zealand’s schedule of notifiable diseases. This places new legal requirements on health practitioners and laboratories for the management and reporting of both suspected and confirmed iGAS cases.

Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (WITT) Diploma in Enrolled Nursing students are seeking clinical placements and employment at your workplace.

Nominations have opened for members of the new Rural Health National Clinical Network. Self-nominations and nominations of others are welcome, please submit your nominations by 20 October 2024 using the expression of interest form.

Hato Hone St John received formal notification last week from FIRST Union that members, including both ambulance personnel and Ambulance Communications Centre staff, will withdraw labour for six hours, from the start of their shifts on 27 September, and again on 30 September.

The Clinical Informatics Award is back in its sixth year, promoting the value that clinicians bring to whānau and community in providing data and digitally enabled care. The 2024 award is open to anyone with a clinical background and an interest in clinical informatics: this can be an individual or a clinical team, so get nominating today!

Until the end of September, two evidence-based medicine tools are available to all practices through the resources on the frontpage of Community Healthpathways: Dynamed and BMJ Best Practice.

Te Whatu Ora wants your opinion on which best serves your needs by filling in a brief survey. This is an important decision and a high response rate will be very helpful as they decide whether they can acquire one of the resources (subject to the very real fiscal constraints).

Funding of continuous glucose monitoring and automated insulin delivery begins on 1 October. Not all people living with T1D are known to the Taranaki Diabetes Integrated Team. To re-engage these whānau with the funded technology, the Pinnacle clinical diabetes specialist is available to run a query build in your practice and contact these patients to discuss changes in funding and available services for the initiation of insulin pump therapy / AID.