PHO welcomes five more GPs who joined 1 July

MEDIA RELEASE

8 July 2004

Hawke’s Bay Primary Health Organisation welcomes five more GPs who joined the organisation on 1 July

Sanja Majstorovic, General Manager of the Hawke’s Bay Primary Health Organisation (HBPHO) is welcoming five more GP practices to the organisation last week bringing the total number of GP practices who are members to 27 (106 GPs).

“It is pleasing to note that the Hawke’s Bay PHO will now oversee the provision of coordinated GP care for around 130,000 Hawke’s Bay people.

HBDHB planning and funding manager, Susan Peacock, said it had been a gradual process, not without its challenges, to bring together a diverse group of health professionals to work collaboratively on improving access to services and improving the effectiveness of primary health care services in Hawke’s Bay.

“For the public, there are very real benefits, in terms of cheaper fees for GP visits…and from a clinical perspective, continuity of care and being able to provide holistic care where a GP can really get to know a person and their family, has real benefits in terms of disease prevention.

“With the financial barriers to accessing GP visits being lowered for many people who have high health needs, we believe the frontline treatment provided by GPs and practice nurses will help keep people well and healthy in the community, and will, over time, reduce the number of acute hospital admissions.

The Hawke’s Bay Primary Health Organisation has GP practices in Napier, Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay.

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