Respiratory physician Lutz Beckert considers chronic obstructive pulmonary disease management, including the prevention of COPD, the importance of smoking cessation and pulmonary rehabilitation, and the lifesaving potential of addressing treatable traits. He also discusses the logic of inhaler therapy, moving from single therapy to dual and triple therapy when indicated, as well as other aspects of management
The Popcorn Panels take a look at “General practice – missing in action”
The Popcorn Panels take a look at “General practice – missing in action”

Grab some popcorn, hit the couch; New Zealand Doctor|Rata Aotearoa brings you the third Popcorn Panel tomorrow night, taking a closer look at recommendations of the Health and Disability System Review Panel report, aka the Simpson report
Tomorrow night’s topic is “General practice – missing in action”, exploring where general practice might fit into the new world view under the report’s recommendations.
Join New Zealand Doctor|Rata Aotearoa editor Barbara Fountain and panellists General Practice NZ chair Jeff Lowe, NZMA GP Council chair Vanessa Weenink and RNZCGP president Samantha Murton at 7pm for an hour on Zoom as they chat and take questions from the audience about the direction the health sector might be taking.
This is the third in the series of four Popcorn Panels. We’ve already chatted about PHOs and localities and the possibility of a Māori health commissioning agency.
After tomorrow night, the final panel on Thursday, 23 July will be a chat about the mega-DHBs and the proposed new national health agency.
The panels are free to attend but it is necessary to register at https://www.thehealthmedia.co.nz/popcorn-panels
If you have already registered, please check your original email for the Zoom link to access the session.
Jeff Lowe
Jeff is chair of general practice network advocacy group General Practice NZ and a GP partner at Wellington’s Karori Medical Centre
Samantha Murton
Sam is a working Wellington GP and Senior Lecturer and Trainee Intern Convenor at University of Otago, Wellington. One of Sam’s goals is to advocate for the profession at a national level, and she does this while maintaining practical experience that keeps her advice relevant and realistic. Her vision for general practice is best reflected in her 2020 work (with collaborators) A manifesto for general practice: an equitable, accessible health-positive model.
Vanessa Weenink
Vanessa is chair of the NZMA’s GP Council and a partner in Christchurch’s Papanui Medical Centre