Rheumatic fever prevention programme

All Pinnacle practices in Tairāwhiti region can claim for this service. 

• Claims can be initiated by a registered nurse/GP.
• Only 1 claim per throat swab can be submitted.
• A patient that has returned to the practice with another episode of a sore throat, following a previous negative throat swab, can have another funded swab under a new referral where clinically indicated. 

General practitioners and nurses are able to provide patients with a free throat swab service if the patient meets the following criteria: 

• patients aged between 4-19 years old
• household contacts (aged between 3-35 years) of eligible patients (above criteria) who have had a positive swab result.  
• Patients domiciled in Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti area. 

• Patients who are not eligible for New Zealand funded health care.
• Patients who do not meet the eligibility criteria. 
• Patients not domiciled in Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti area. 

The episode of care ends when the outcome and claim are submitted.

Payment will be made once an outcome has been lodged for the case.

Each sore throat swab will require a new claim. 

Please make your claim via Primary Options, select RF Throat Swab - Eligible Population or RF Throat Swab - Household Contact and then attach the appropriate invoice(s).

Prices are GST inclusive. 

RF throat swab:  $19 
The claim for a throat swab for a patient who meets criteria for eligible population or who meets the criteria for household contact.

Submit your referral via Primary Options by selecting the appropriate service from the following:  

• RF throat swab – eligible population
• RF throat swab – household contact. 

Once the result for the swab is received, please lodge an ‘Outcome’ for the case. 

Due to reporting requirements, the result of the swab needs to be included as well as the name of the antibiotic prescribed if the result of the swab is positive.  
Payment for the swab cannot be made until the outcome has been lodged with the required information.  

Practices are required to provide sufficiently detailed consultation notes to determine appropriate use of funding.  

It has been recommended that in addition to a good assessment and history, the full range of appropriate observations should be documented. 

 If there are any RF sore throat swab referrals with missing outcomes or the notes submitted do not contain the swab result and/or antibiotics prescribed, the team will call the practice in order to complete the report.   

No. No co-payment can be charged to the patient. 

The service is funded by Te Whatu Ora