Important News and Information from Hauraki PHO

Public Health Bulletin - February 2020

28/2/2020

Click here to view February health Bulletin

Communications - Anglesea Clinic Board

25/2/2020

Media statement - Dr Curtis Walker re-elected chairperson of the Medical Council of New Zealand

19/2/2020

13 February 2020
For immediate release

Dr Curtis Walker re-elected chairperson of the Medical Council of New Zealand

At the Council’s first meeting of the year on Tuesday 11 February, Dr Curtis Walker (Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Porou) was re-elected chairperson of the Medical Council of New Zealand for another 12 months.

Dr Walker was first appointed to Council in July 2015 following the Council’s election earlier that year and was subsequently re-elected in March 2018.

Dr Walker also holds the position of Kaihautu Tuarua/Deputy Chairperson Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa – Māori Medical Practitioners Association (Te ORA) and has a long standing commitment to improving Māori health and is a strong advocate for health equity.

Dr Walker currently works as a renal and general physician at MidCentral District Health Board.

Ms Susan Hughes QC was re-elected deputy chair.

Ms Hughes who is a lay member was first appointed to Council in May 2013.

Ms Hughes was a partner in the New Plymouth law firm of Govett Quilliam for 18 years, leaving in 2006 to commence practice at the independent Bar. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2007 and continues her practice in New Plymouth.

For more information please contact:
George Symmes
Communications Manager
Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | Medical Council of New Zealand
+64 4 381 6782| 027 441 55 88| 0800 286 801 Ext 782
www.mcnz.org.nz | gsymmes@mcnz.org.nz

GASP Advanced Form

15/2/2020

Practices were advised via the Weekly Update on 11/7/19 that funding for GASP ceased from 30th September https://www.haurakipho.org.nz/news/news-support-2019/july/2019-practice-claiming-guide-1-july-30-september-2019/

Continued...

GASP is an important initiative that is showing improved health outcomes for asthma patients – please consider creative ways in which you can continue to champion this initiative by e.g. claiming extended consult or SIA funding .
Please DO NOT inactivate the Advanced Form, practices cannot continue to use the GASP tool without it.
When completing the GASP Advanced Form there is the ability in the claim function to select ‘No Claim’ before completing the form.
This will allow HPHO to continue to collect the audit data that we report to the Waikato DHB every quarter.
Please contact practicesupport@haurakipho.org.nz if you have any questions.

Note - HPHO Finance have advised that claims received for October and November will be declined.

FundaPen Update - new criteria from 24 February

13/2/2020

Last year, Allergy New Zealand and Pub Charity joined forces to make 2,500 FREE EpiPen auto-injector pens available to allergy sufferers at risk of anaphylaxis. We called the initiative ‘FundaPen’.

Continued...

Because of the limited number of pens available, our initial FundaPen release targeted patients who struggle most with access or cost.

There has been a fantastic early response from patients and GPs alike. Thank you for your understanding, support and cooperation.

This FundaPen update email is to announce that the initial eligibility restrictions are now being removed.
From Monday 24 February 2020, any allergy patient, doctor-diagnosed at risk of anaphylaxis, will be eligible for the FundaPen initiative.

We have attached an invitation to your PHO to communicate this FundaPen update to your members as soon as possible. (We have separately attached the second page of the invitation as a PDF, so that you can simply attach it in an email to your members, for ease of forwarding and printing).

We hope you can continue to support this ‘game-changer’ for the allergy patients that your members support.