We had it covered in 2023

Karen Hoare made history in nursing and academia more than 30 years after setting off for The Gambia somewhat as an accessory to her paediatrician husband. Reporter Fiona Cassie talks to Professor Hoare about the journey from “useful” wife to practice co-ownership and – now as director of postgraduate nursing at Massey University – to becoming the first nurse practitioner professor.

This cover, featuring AI-generated illustrations, was a first for us. In his regular First Time column, Ōpōtiki GP Jo Scott-Jones suggests playing with the newly minted artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT to understand its capabilities and limitations. Geekspeak columnist Richard Medlicott poses a few typical patient questions to the AI tool.

New Zealand’s first measles case since 2019 was confirmed on 13 February and a further alert followed on 22 February. Alan Perrott looks at efforts to prevent a widespread outbreak in the face of pandemic-related low immunisation rates and sector fatigue.

The clear message for reporter Alan Perrott when he attended the annual conference of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia was that the future of timely healthcare lies in genome sequencing and AI. “We are working toward elevating a genome sequence from a medical test – a transaction – to a healthcare delivery system based on an ongoing, lifelong interaction with your genome,” says Stephen Kingmore, chief executive of Rady Children’s Institute of Genomic Medicine in San Diego.

Proposed changes to ACC’s urgent-care contract expose the emergency sector’s vulnerability as COVID-19 care funding dries up and workforce shortages grow. Reporter Martin Johnston talks to providers who are adamant changes will send more patients to hospital.

Fiona Cassie and the team deliver comprehensive coverage of the latest RNZCGP workforce survey, Te Rangahau Ohu Mahi, The Workforce Survey 2022. The news isn’t good, with only 39 per cent surveyed recommending general practice as a career option, down from 54 per cent in 2020, and 37 per cent intending to retire in five years.

Deputy editor Patrice Dougan profiles Diana Sarfati, the academic-turned-civil servant who late last year stepped into the shoes of Sir Ashley Bloomfield to become director-general of health and chief executive of the Ministry of Health. Patrice finds an intellectual powerhouse with a great sense of humour and a truckload of dedication.

Martin Johnston looks at the Supreme Court ruling on “vicarious liability”, which upheld earlier court rulings that a medical centre could be liable for a prescription error by one of its partners. Is the ruling a nonsense that disadvantages general practices or a business reality?

Funders have told primary care leaders that national contracts will rise by 5 per cent in the coming year. Fiona Cassie asks: 5 per cent of what? Nothing quite says “tenacious” as Fiona searching for the actual figures behind official statements.

Reporter Maia Hall talks to researchers, specialist GPs and an NP leading the way in providing high-quality healthcare for genderdiverse people.

Fiona Cassie talks to the new chief medical officer at the ministry, Joe Bourne, regarding his career path from London to the western Bay of Plenty and about funding, family and football fandom. At home in Te Puke, he’s still “Dr Joe” to his patients in low-cost kaupapa Māori health clinic Poutiri Wellness Centre.

Alan Perrott ventures into the country’s largest primary healthcare provider, Tāmaki Health – known for something of a fortress mentality – to meet superhero-comic fan and chief executive Lloyd McCann. Their wide-ranging discussion covers cheesy smiles, speaking up for the Māori Health Authority and managing risk.

National has pounced on an old idea popular in rural health quarters – establishing a third medical school at the University of Waikato. Unnecessary, or just the ticket for rural doctor shortages? Fiona Cassie talks to the various players.

Changes to the Arms Act 1983 and the launch of the Te Tari Pūreke|Firearms Safety Authority are intended to support the safe and responsible use of firearms in Aotearoa, making communities safer. This article by Kendra Hill of Te Tari Pūreke and specialist GP Cathy Stephenson answers some common questions about the implications of these changes for health practitioners.

Fiona Cassie explores how HealthPathways, a collaboration between secondary and primary care to shed light on clinical decision-making and health resources, has spread to 61 health regions worldwide.

Palestinian GP registrar Ruba Harfeil emigrated to New Zealand with her husband from Jordan in 2012. Dr Harfeil has worked at Te Awamutu Medical Centre since early last year. A plan to provide free community health services for Māori outside the practice saw her help set up a fortnightly clinic at Mangatoatoa Marae, 5km north of Te Awamutu. Reporter Stephen Forbes caught up with her there.

“Surprised” underestimates the response to the Labour Government’s muchanticipated primary care reform plan, as Stephen Forbes discovers. Coming in the form of a Cabinet paper describing health minister Ayesha Verrall’s vision, it was not so much a plan as a plan for a plan, described by one general practice leader as “aspirational drivel”. The release did not contain the substantial basis for urgent decisions on new funding models that GPs had been hoping for.

As the election drew near, with no apparent primary care strategy from any party, Patrice Dougan and Stephen Forbes looked at what was on offer for health, putting to party health spokespeople three questions on critical issues facing the primary care sector.

In the face of widespread political ignorance of the contribution of general practice and primary care to the health sector, Martin Johnston looked at the rhetoric and Fiona Cassie, the figures, to answer that question. Fiona spent hours searching for data to explain why general practice works hard but often fails to live up to its own expectations of good care.

For nearly 20 years, Amanda Oakley has been a regular presence in the pages of New Zealand Doctor, providing the popular, if often visually challenging, dermatology pages. Patrice Dougan spoke to Dr Oakley about taking stock, the inception of her global sensation DermNet and pioneering an AI-enhanced referral system.

Regular columnist Lucy O’Hagan has picked up a tonne of wisdom along the long and windy path of general practice experience. If only someone had shared some of this knowledge with her when she first started. Instead, she puts her thoughts to paper.

The burden of administration is a common complaint in general practice. Around the country, practices are searching for new ways of dealing with the growing volume of emails and messages sent to GPs by patients and healthcare professionals. Stephen Forbes looked at some solutions, including a new breed of health worker, the clinical assistant.

The New Zealand Doctor team looks at the year that was, wrapping up the big issues and looking ahead to what is likely to dominate the headlines in 2024. From politics to pay parity, funding to survival, as well as some hot summer tips, you’ll find it all in your must-read summer edition.