Primary health organisations (PHOs) support the delivery and co-ordination of primary healthcare services by bringing together doctors, nurses and other health professionals to serve the needs of their communities. Health professionals can include, but are not limited to, Māori health workers, health promoters, dietitians, pharmacists, physiotherapists, mental health workers and midwives.
PHOs are made up of a number of primary care practices working together. They are designed to ensure everyone can access primary healthcare through a GP practice. Patients register with a practice, and in doing so enrol with a PHO. PHOs were established to help the Government fund primary care. There are a number of PHOs throughout New Zealand, each holding relationships with Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand.
PHOs receive a set amount of funding from the government to support the delivery of a range of health services, including visits to the doctor. Funding is based on the number of people enrolled with the PHO and aspects such as age, gender, and ethnicity. This funding also lets medical centres approach and offer services to those in the community who are missing out on health services or who have poor health.
The Pinnacle Midlands Health Network is made up of over 85 practices, spread across the Waikato, Lakes, Taranaki and Tairāwhiti districts. Read more about our network.
Enrolling is free and voluntary. If you choose not to enrol you can still receive healthcare services from a chosen doctor or practice.
Advantages of enrolling include cheaper visits to your practice and direct access to a range of health and community services linked to the PHO.
Medical centres provide a full range of primary, community-based health care services to the public. These services include the diagnosis, management and treatment of health conditions, long term care plans, health promotion, prevention, screening and referral to hospital and specialist services.
The Midlands Regional Health Network Charitable Trust (the Trust) is a primary health organisation (PHO) and is responsible for the governance of Midlands Health Network, which medical centres listed on this website are members of. The Trust is made up of community, iwi and clinical representatives and is the entity that contracts with Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand for funding to provide health services to the Midlands Health Network population.
To enrol, you need to complete an enrolment form at the practice of your choice. You’ll also need evidence of your eligibility for publicly funded health and disability services, which can be your passport or birth certificate. Parents can enrol children under 16 years of age, but children 16 years of age and over need to sign their own form.
If you have not visited your medical centre in a three year period it is likely that the medical centre will contact you and ask if you wish to remain with them. If you are not able to be contacted or do not respond, your name will be taken off the medical centre and PHO enrolment registers. You can re-enrol with the same medical centre or at another medical centre and the associated PHO at a later time.
If the medical centre changes to a new PHO, the medical centre will let you know.
You can go to another medical centre or change to a new medical centre at any time. If you are enrolled in a PHO through one medical centre and visit another medical centre as a casual patient, you will pay a higher fee for that visit. So if you have more than one medical centre, you should consider enrolling with the medical centre you visit most often.
If you’re unsure if you’re eligible for publicly funded health and disability services, talk to the practice team, call 0800 855 151 or visit the Manatū Hauora website and work through the guide to eligibility criteria.