New Medical Director Appointed - College Of GPs

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners has appointed Dr Prabani Wood as its new Medical Director.

Dr Wood is a Hamilton-based specialist GP working at the University of Waikato Student Health Service.

Dr Wood obtained her medical degree and BA in Physiological Science from the University of Oxford and emigrated to New Zealand in 2005. She has been a GP for more than 16 years and brings a wealth of post-graduate experience in medicine, surgery, anaesthetics and public health, including a Master's degree in public health from the University of Auckland.

In 2015, Dr Wood established a new GP practice in Hamilton, with the multi-disciplinary team providing comprehensive care to over 8,500 patients in the region.

College Chief Executive Toby Beaglehole says, "Dr Wood’s extensive academic, clinical and medical advisory experience gives her great insight into the challenging nature of general practice, primary care and rural hospital medicine. She is a passionate advocate for primary healthcare and shaping policy to deliver better health outcomes for New Zealanders, and we’re looking forward to welcoming Dr Wood onto the College team."

A desire to join the call for change and highlight the economic case for strengthening the specialist GP workforce led Dr Wood to publish a research report with The New Zealand Initiative in April 2025. The report, ‘The Heart of Healthcare: Renewing New Zealand’s Primary Care System’ reviews the critical role and challenges facing general practice in New Zealand, focusing on the importance of continuity of care and systemic health care issues.

Dr Wood takes up the Medical Director’s role on Monday 11 August.

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