Toitu te Oranga is our new, fortnightly e-pānui designed to share timely clinical information, practical tools, and opportunities to support you and your teams in delivering safe, effective, and high-quality care.
Our "Toitu te Oranga" e-pānui reflects our ongoing commitment to working alongside our practices - strengthening connections, supporting workforce development, and ensuring you have the latest insights and guidance to help your teams achieve the best outcomes for patients.
Each edition will feature key sector updates, training and funding opportunities, and news from across our PHO network.
Ngā mihi for your continued leadership and dedication. We’re here to support you and your teams - please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can assist with anything from workforce planning to clinical guidance.
In this pānui you will find the following:
He Karere (Recent Updates)
Tai Hauora (Clinical Round Up)
Ngā Pānui mo te Wā Kāinga (In the Community)
Kaupapa o te Wā (Upcoming Events)
Tai Pūkenga (Education, Training & Events)
Pae Hono (Helpful Links)
Health sector strikes Planned for 23–24 October 2025. Most primary care and community providers are not affected and will operate as normal. Emergency departments remain open. More info: Te Whatu Ora
Measles
With the recent cases in Northland, the threat of a patient with measles presenting at your clinic is very real.
Key actions for healthcare professionals
Please remain vigilant for people with measles symptoms, including fever, cough and rash, especially in anyone who was present at any of the Locations of Interest identified for these cases. Please also remain alert for measles in anyone returning to Aotearoa from overseas.
Take a nasopharyngeal viral swab (preferred) or throat swab for measles PCR. Do not test for serology.
DO NOT send patients to community labs for testing.
If measles is suspected in the hospital/clinic isolate immediately; advise any discharged patients to isolate at home until contacted by public health.
Notify immediately on suspicion to public health via electronic referral (where available), and call to notify your local on-call Medical Officer of Health.
Follow usual infection, prevention and control for any suspected measles cases.
Continue to offer MMR vaccination to anyone whose vaccination status is unknown, or unable to be proven (if no contraindications). There are no concerns with receiving an MMR vaccination even if already immune.
Encourage MMR vaccination (and other vaccinations) for anyone planning overseas travel.
Pēpi between the ages of 4-12 months should be considered for an additional free dose of the MMR vaccine early (MMR0) before overseas travel. This dose will need to be given under prescription. Pēpi will still require their scheduled two doses at 12 and 15 months old for long-term protection.
Messages for patients:
What You Need to Know About Measles
Measles is a serious and highly contagious illness that can affect pēpi, tamariki, rangatahi and pakeke.
Measles Symptoms to Look Out For:
High fever (over 38°C)
Cough, runny nose, and sore red eyes
A rash that starts on the face and spreads down the body, lasting up to a week.
If you or your whānau have symptoms, please stay home and seek medical advice.
Call ahead before visiting your doctor or hauora provider so they can take steps to protect others. You can also call Healthline for free any time on 0800 611 116.
Protecting You and Your Whānau
The best protection against measles is to have two doses of the MMR vaccine (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) after 12 months of age. The MMR vaccine is safe and is free for anyone under the age of 18, and for those eligible for free healthcare.
Whānau can get vaccinated at most pharmacies, doctors, nurses and Pacific or Hauora Māori providers.
Visit info.health.nz/measles or call the Vaccination Helpline on 0800 28 29 26 (Monday to Friday, 8.30am–5pm). Interpreters are available, and you can speak with a Māori advisor, disability advisor, or use NZ Relay.
Resources and information
To support our communities across the motu access accurate information, please share this
Advice related to pregnancy, people who were born overseas and travel considerations.
How can we help?
Please contact Practice Support for up-to-date overdue patient lists, help with calling scripts etc. We may even be able to assist with staff to help run a specific immunisation clinic.
Pillars of Health Workshop
On Wednesday 24th September we hosted a Pou Ora - Pillars of Health Workshop facilitated by Collaborative Aotearoa's Jess Morgan-French. The day was an opportunity to come together for learning, discussion, and connection, with a strong focus on the future of general practice. The workshop covered Lean methodology, change management, and evolving models of care, practical tools and approaches that can support practices to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. We were fortunate to have attendees from a range of clinics across the practice network, and it was great meet and greet kanohi ki kanohi. We plan to run more of these types of sessions in the future.
Collaborative Aotearoa Resources
As Collaborative Aotearoa Members Hauraki PHO practices have exclusive access to the Collaborative Aotearoa Resource Library.
This has a wide range of helpful resources specifically designed to supporting General Practice and is well worth utilising.
Parliamentary Review of the National Cervical Screening Programme
A Parliamentary Review Committee has been established to independently assess the performance of the National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP) and recommend improvements. A key focus of this review is the recent transition to HPV testing as the primary screening method.
To help ensure the programme continues to meet the needs of women and people with a cervix across Aotearoa, the Committee is inviting feedback from anyone who has had a cervical screen in the past two years.
Please share the survey link below through your practice and networks to encourage participation in this important review: Experiences of Cervical Screening Survey
Adrenaline: Standing Order requirement for authorised vaccinators
Te Whatu Ora has confirmed that authorised vaccinators require either a prescription or a Standing Order to administer adrenaline for post-vaccination anaphylaxis. This is a clarification of the Medicines Regulations 1984 (44A), which do not cover adrenaline. A Standing Order template and FAQs are available on the Te Whatu Ora Prevention–Immunisation Dropbox, along with additional guidance and resources.
Pathlab has introduced a mandatory tick box on all Éclair lab request forms to confirm whether a test is eligible for funded support.
This change addresses ongoing errors where tests were incorrectly processed as funded or unfunded. Previously, the field defaulted to “Yes,” but it was often missed. Now, users must actively select eligibility to ensure compliance with national funding rules and protect the sustainability of lab services.
Please complete this field carefully—Pathlab has reported cases where patients were wrongly marked as ineligible and charged.
Nurse Practitioner Training Support Scheme
Applications are now open for registered nurses (RNs) to take part in a new national training support scheme aimed at growing the nurse practitioner (NP) workforce and strengthening primary care across Aotearoa.
The Nurse Practitioner Training Support Scheme (NPTSS) provides tailored support for RNs completing the final practicum year of their Master of Nursing qualification and transitioning into their new scope of practice as NPs.
The scheme supports 180 nurses annually, 120 in primary care and 60 in specialist roles, offering locally led education, mentoring, supervision, and employer support through six primary health organisations.
Cervical Screening workshop in Hamilton 17-18 November.
Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa are running their final cervical screening course in Hamilton for the year on the 17-18 November. Please visit their website to register here.
2025-2026 Māori Suicide Prevention Community Fund
Te Rau Ora are pleased to announce that the 2025-2026 Māori Suicide Prevention Community Fund is now open for applications. This Fund empowers Māori-led initiatives that focus on improving mental health and preventing suicide. They invite whānau, hapū, Iwi, Māori providers and Māori Community Groups to apply for funding between $10k to $100k to run initiatives to prevent suicide, promote resilience, build cultural identity, and enhance community wellbeing.
Applications are online andclose on Monday 24th November 2025.
Inaugural Refugee Health Scholarship Programme
This scholarship programme is a partnership between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and Ministry of Health. Its purpose is to achieve better outcomes for former refugees and their families through workforce development opportunities and greater representation of former refugees in health careers.It will prioritise former refugees currently enrolled in community facing roles and in programmes with identified skill shortages (eg, nursing, primary care).
Supports recipients with a total average scholarship value of up to $25,000 for 2026.
Offers flexible, personalised support.
Peer support from those who have been on a similar journey and opportunities to build connection and community with fellow scholars.
Applications Open on 15 October 2025 and Close on 15 December 2025.
Immunisation Webinar (Second Tuesday of the Month 1-2pm)
This is a fortnightly Immunisation focused webinar run by the National Public Health Service. It covers a range of topics from sector updates, education, research, and provide a good opportunity to connect with others working in immunisation across the country. Recorded webinars can be found here.
Access to Acute Care is one of the key pillars within the Pou Ora | Pillars of Health model of care, supporting primary and community care teams to deliver equitable, timely, and connected care.
This session explores how to activate this pillar by following the patient journey, from wellbeing at home and trusted health information, through national services and clinical triage innovations, to acute care clinics that ensure seamless access.
Join Novo Nordisk for an informative Wegovy® dinner meeting with Dr Cinthia Riquetto, Endocrinologist from Waikato Hospital, who has extensive experience using GLP-1 therapies. This session will provide a clinical introduction to Wegovy® 2.4 mg (semaglutide), indicated as an adjunct to diet and physical activity for chronic weight management in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and over.
Details:
Tuesday 4 November 2025 7.00 – 8.30 pm (Dinner served from 7.00 pm) The Verandah, Rotorua Drive, Hamilton Lake Domain
Register here:Event Registration For more information, contact Carol-Ann on 027 497 9791 or click here.
Te Tūhono Rangatahi
This two-day event is designed to inspire, connect, and empower those working with rangatahi. It offers a valuable opportunity to gain practical tools, share knowledge, and strengthen connections across the youth health and wellbeing sector.
