General Practice, GPs + PHOs
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When you or your child feels unwell, your General Practitioner (GP) or Practice Nurse is usually the first health professional you will see to get health advice - be it a physical health or mental health concern. For helpful information about getting the most from your GP and other frequently asked questions, please see the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners website. General Practices (including GPs and Practice Nurses) sit within the structure of Primary Health Organisations (PHOs). The configuration of PHOs in the South is in a period of transition, with the current nine PHOs from across Southland and Otago being merged into one new organisation. A PHO Transitional Board has been appointed to oversee the creation of a single, community-owned, Otago-Southland PHO. The single new PHO is expected to become operational in July 2010. The PHO will receive funding from Southern DHB, through contracts to deliver a range of primary health services. Finding a GP / General Practice Fees:You can find the names and details for all Southland and Otago General Practices, together with their fee schedules, by selecting from the nine Southland and Otago PHO website links below. Wakatipu PHO(covering Queenstown and Frankton) Invercargill PHO(covering Invercargill City and Bluff) Takitimu Health PHO(covering Western Southland including Winton, Riverton, Tuatapere, Te Anau and Otautau). Hokonui PHO(covering Eastern Southland including Gore, Mataura and Lumsden). Well Dunedin(covering Dunedin area extending as far north as Palmerston and as far south as Green Island). Mornington PHO(sits in the centre of the region serviced by Well Dunedin) Otago Southern Region PHO(covering Tapanui, Roxburgh, Lawrence, Milton, Owaka, and Balclutha regions) Rural Otago PHO(covering Wanaka, Cromwell, Alexandra, Ranfurly, Clyde, Lake Hawea, Oamaru, Hampden, Kurow, Otematata, Omarama, Herbert, Maheno, Moeraki, and Duntroon). Taieri and Strath Taieri PHO(covering the Mosgiel and Middlemarch region). Primary Health Organisations (PHOs):PHOs are funded by District Health Boards (DHBs) to provide primary health care services to those people who are enrolled with that PHO. PHOs bring together doctors (GPs), nurses and other health professionals (such as health promotion workers, dieticians, pharmacists, mental health workers) in the community to serve the health needs of their enrolled populations. PHOs get a set amount of funding from the government to subsidise a range of health services, including traditional GP (family doctor) visits. The funding is based on the numbers and characteristics of people enrolled with them (eg age, ethnicity). To find out more about PHOs and the national Primary Health Care Strategy, please visit the Ministry of Health website.
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