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Dental Costs – Landmark Report Lays Out Costed Plan for Universal Dental, Calls on Politicians to Act on “Gap in the Public Health System”

Source: Dental for All

A landmark report released today outlines a detailed proposal to make oral healthcare free and universal in New Zealand. The report, ‘Fixing Oral Healthcare in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Costed Policy Plan for Delivering Dental for All’, is published by Dental for All and includes costings by independent economists for a national network of community oral health clinics. (ref. https://www.dentalforall.nz/ )

“We need urgent action to address this gap in the public health system,” says Dental for All campaigner, Hana Pilkinton-Ching. “Our policy paper outlines a credible pathway to an oral health system which upholds Te Tiriti o Waitangi and ensures everyone can access the oral healthcare they need. It shows that universal dental is feasible and affordable.”

The report proposes an Adult Community Oral Health Service, featuring over 700 clinics across Aotearoa New Zealand which would provide oral healthcare free in the community. These clinics – along with funding for by-Māori, for Māori services; training and expanding the workforce; and ramping up policy skills in oral health – are estimated to cost $936 million per annum, alongside a one-off capital investment of $1.1 billion.

“The only reason dental is carved out of our public healthcare system is lobbying by dentists in 1938 – we’re not where we are for any good medical or policy reason,” says Dental for All campaigner and researcher, Kayli Taylor. “To our knowledge, this is the first time a detailed plan for free, universal, Te Tiriti o Waitangi-consistent oral healthcare has been published, and it is now ready to be implemented by politicians.”

The report proposes expanding the number of seats for training dentists at the University of Otago, describes what level of service would be covered by an Adult Community Oral Health Service, and lays out a scheme to attract dentists and oral health therapists to the national network. Private dentists would be free to continue offering their services under the proposal.

“Our whānau have waited and suffered long enough,” says Leeann Waaka, dental therapist and co-tumuaki for Te Ao Mārama – Aotearoa Māori Dental Association. “They deserve an oral health system worthy of them, one that upholds their dignity, gives life to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and brings hei oranga niho mō te iwi Māori into reality. This policy is carried by the voice of our whānau and by the solutions they seek. My hope is that their voices rise beyond this launch and become the turning point for bold and lasting action.”

A recent Talbot Mills poll from March this year found 83% of people in New Zealand supported bringing dental into the public healthcare system.

“No longer can politicians ignore the damaging effects of our privatised model of oral healthcare, or argue there is no solution to these problems,” adds Hana Pilkinton-Ching of Dental for All.

A further report by FrankAdvice showed in 2024 that current dental settings, which involved privatised dental for over-18s, are costing the country $2.5 billion in lost productivity and $3.1 billion in lost quality of life. (ref. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6716db8303911558a264ceeb/t/6893fb04bd24865e5efa7e1f/1754528521108/FrankAdvice_report_for_Dental_for_All_Coalition.pdf )

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An overview of disability data in Aotearoa New Zealand – Stats NZ report

 

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Government’s attack on Māori health raised at the UN – NZNO

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Concerns over the Coalition Government’s active reversal of policies designed to improve Māori health outcomes were raised at the United Nations in New York this morning.
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku told the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues that despite formally endorsing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Government was actively stepping back from its commitment to policy and practice.
Kerri Nuku said Māori continued to face ongoing systemic racism over their rights to health, equity and self-determination.
She told the forum the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora removed Māori leadership from the health system, despite clear evidence that Māori experienced persistent and systemic inequities in health outcomes, including a life expectancy around seven years shorter than non-Māori.
“For Māori workers, this results in insecure employment, limited access to care, and declining health outcomes. These impacts are particularly severe for wahine Māori and survivors of state care and abuse, who already face compounding inequities in health, safety and access to support.
“This is not accidental. This is a predictable result of decisions that reduce indigenous participation, dismantle targeted solutions and weaken accountability,” Kerri Nuku says.
She called on the forum to recognise that racism affecting indigenous health can be structural and policy driven.
“We call on the New Zealand Government to uphold te Tiriti o Waitangi, align with UNDRIP and restore Māori leadership in Health and Social Policy. We request that this forum monitor and report on developments in Aotearoa, New Zealand, including the impact of current policies on Māori health and rights. If these directions continue, inequities will deepen, not by choice, not by chance, but by choice.
“We therefore call on the Government of New Zealand to demonstrate how its current policies are consistent with its commitment, and because at present, the gap between commitment and reality continues to widen.”
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Health – UK smokefree generation plan sets global pace, Asthma and Respiratory Foundation applauds move

Source: Asthma and Respiratory Foundation

The UK is drawing a line under smoking for future generations – a world-leading ambition New Zealand should not have scrapped three years ago, a leading lung health charity says.
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ is praising the UK for moving forward with legislation to create a smokefree generation, signalling a decisive shift in tobacco control.
Foundation Chief Executive Ms Letitia Harding says the UK’s move painted New Zealand’s repeal of Smokefree 2025 in a far more critical light.
“We were right there – we were at the forefront of committing to a smokefree generation.
“Our plan was bold, evidence-based, and focused on protecting future generations,” she says.
“Then it was scrapped, and with it went a world-leading commitment to our tamariki to protect them from tobacco harm.”
The health implications of tobacco harm are significant and long-term, Ms Harding says.
Smoking remains one of the leading causes of preventable respiratory and cardiac diseases in New Zealand, continuing to place significant pressure on individuals, whānau, and the health system.
“If we can stop young people from starting smoking, you don’t just change habits – you change outcomes,” Ms Harding says.
“That means fewer lung cancer cases, less chronic respiratory and cardiac diseases, and fewer premature deaths across the population over time.”
According to the latest New Zealand Health Survey, daily smoking rates remain at 6.8% for people aged 15 and over, largely unchanged from the previous three years.
This stagnation highlights the need for stronger intervention, she says.
“It’s clear smoking rates have plateaued.
“Without a bold, structural plan to end uptake in the first place, we are managing the problem rather than solving it.”
The UK’s policy has reset the benchmark for ambition in tobacco control, Ms Harding says.
“The UK has raised the bar – now New Zealand needs to come to the party.”
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Fast Track To Pollution? "Dirty coal and dirty water": Greenpeace condemns proposed fertiliser factory

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace is condemning the proposal to build a ‘coal-to-fertiliser’ factory in Southland through the Fast Track process, saying it will worsen climate change, further contaminate drinking water, and destabilise food system resilience in Aotearoa.
Greenpeace agriculture spokesperson Will Appelbe says, “This year, New Zealand communities have been hit repeatedly with deadly floods and storms, driven by the climate crisis, which have destroyed homes and livelihoods. And in the middle of this, an Australian company wants to come to New Zealand and use the dirtiest, most polluting fossil fuel to create more fertiliser for New Zealand’s dirtiest, most climate-polluting industry.”
“This proposal would add to a toxic cocktail of pollution that is cooking the climate, contaminating drinking water, and wrecking lakes and rivers across the country. It would burn more fossil fuels and fundamentally increase New Zealand agribusiness’ reliance on unsustainable inputs.”
Synthetic nitrogen fertiliser is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand than the entire domestic aviation industry, and is also one of the biggest contributors to contamination in freshwater ecosystems, leading to nitrate contamination.
“Everybody has the right to safe, clean drinking water, swimmable rivers, and a stable climate – and we want our kids and grandkids to get to experience that too. Building the proposed factory would undermine those rights for future generations, all for the sake of producing milk powder for use in confectionery products,” says Appelbe.
“This fertiliser plant would induce demand, and bake in a reliance on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser for decades, forcing New Zealand farmers to stay trapped in a system that doesn’t work for people, animals, or the planet.”
Access to fertiliser is a hot topic for New Zealand farmers, due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. However, Greenpeace says that any reliance on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser puts the New Zealand agricultural sector at risk.
“Instead of furthering the addiction to urea, we need to break the cycle and transition to ways of farming that work with nature to grow real food to feed New Zealanders.”
“That means phasing out the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, reducing herd sizes, and transitioning to ecological, plant-based agricultural practices that are more resilient in the face of global shocks.”
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Insurance Sector – APAC Insurers Are Racing into Private Markets. Their Infrastructure Is Not Keeping Up

Source: Clearwater Analytics

Clearwater Analytics survey of 150 executives managing $3.8 trillion finds private market allocations set to grow by two-thirds in five years, even as the systems underpinning them fall further behind

HONG KONG, SINGAPORE & SYDNEY – Insurance executives across Asia Pacific are accelerating into private markets. Within five years, the 150 executives surveyed by Clearwater Analytics (NYSE: CWAN) expect to allocate a third of their combined $3.8 trillion in assets to private debt, private equity, infrastructure and other alternatives up from 20% today.

The infrastructure supporting these ambitions, however, is not keeping pace.

Ninety-three percent of those same executives acknowledge that legacy technology is already constraining their business, even as they press forward with allocations that demand more from it, not less. The asset classes they are moving into fastest are the ones their systems are least prepared to handle.

“The firms that will lead the next phase of growth in Asia Pacific are already asking the right questions: does our infrastructure match our ambition, and does our scale allow us to compete as this market becomes more complex?” said Shane Akeroyd, Chief Strategy Officer and President of Asia Pacific, Clearwater Analytics. “Those that close the capability gap now are not just solving a technology problem. They are positioning themselves to lead what comes next.”

Where the Capability Gap Is Widest

The capabilities most critical to private market investing are the ones APAC insurers are least equipped to deliver across four key areas:

Data integration: The foundation everything else depends on, ingesting and normalizing data across multiple systems and managers. Only 42% of firms rate their systems as excellent.
Asset complexity: The single capability most essential to the portfolios they are building, and the lowest rated in the survey. Only 23% of firms are confident their systems can support it.
Regulatory reporting: The #1 driver of technology spending, ranking 60% higher than the next priority. Yet fewer than half of firms rate their compliance reporting systems as excellent.
Cross-asset risk aggregation: 86% say it is under-resourced, and 46% of third-party firms report that risk visibility has deteriorated over the past two years.

A Regional M&A Wave Is Coming

Ninety-six percent of APAC insurers expect a rise in domestic M&A activity over the next three years. In that environment, operational capability is not a back-office concern; it is a competitive differentiator. The firms that close the capability gap are positioned to lead the consolidation wave. Those that do not are likely to be swept up in it.

There are early signs of movement: 56% of insurers plan to increase their use of data analytics over the next 12 months, and 55% will integrate AI and machine learning. But 95% say the industry remains resistant to change, which helps explain why the technology gap persists even though executives acknowledge it.

The full findings are available for download today, including market-by-market breakdowns for Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia, and an assessment framework to compare your firm's operational readiness against peers: https://cwan.com/resources/reports/apac-insurance-report/

Survey Methodology

The 2025-2026 APAC Insurance Report surveyed 150 senior executives across life insurers, general insurers, and third-party investment firms in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia. Respondents collectively manage $3.8 trillion in assets. Participants included C-suite leaders and senior investment and operations executives across the region.

About CWAN

Clearwater Analytics (NYSE: CWAN) is transforming investment management with the industry's most comprehensive cloud-native platform for institutional investors across global public and private markets. While legacy systems create risk, inefficiency, and data fragmentation, CWAN's single-instance, multi-tenant architecture delivers real-time data and AI-driven insights throughout the investment lifecycle. The platform eliminates information silos by integrating portfolio management, trading, investment accounting, reconciliation, regulatory reporting, performance, compliance, and risk analytics in one unified system. Serving leading insurers, asset managers, hedge funds, banks, corporations, and governments, CWAN supports over $10 trillion in assets globally.Learn more at www.cwan.com.

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Vital Hutt Valley whānau support service at risk of closure – Birthright proposed to close – PSA

Source: PSA

A proposal to shut down Birthright Hutt Valley after six decades of service will leave hundreds of local single-caregiver families without a lifeline, and the staff that support them without a job.
Birthright, which has supported the Hutt Valley community since the 1960s, has proposed an “orderly wind-down” due to a dire lack of funding. The PSA says government cuts have forced more groups to compete for a shrinking pool of philanthropic grants, effectively starving the sector.
For 60 years, Birthright has been the only local service dedicated to helping single parents and their children. They provide home visits, social work, and practical help to make sure kids have a fair start in life. The service is a vital safety net that keeps families connected and helps them through financial hardship.
“Birthright has been a constant for local families – a place where the jug is always on and there is always someone to listen,” says Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. “This proposed closure should not occur.”
“Birthright are there to support everything from the joy and challenge of a new baby to the heartbreak of losing a child. That kind of local, trusted support has been built over decades, and it can’t just be replaced overnight.”
With the community sector under immense pressure, the PSA is concerned that essential infrastructure is at risk of disappearing right when families need it most.
The PSA is calling for a halt to the closure proposal and is urging government agencies like Oranga Tamariki to work with the Board to find a path forward.
“The closure of Birthright will be a devastating blow to Hutt Valley families and will leave a massive gap in the community with no equivalent service in the region,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
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Nine Kiwi startups could offset emissions at the scale of NZ forests

Source: Ara Ake

Today’s launch of the New Zealand Cleantech Impact Report 2026 shows New Zealand has a pipeline of cleantech companies with the potential to reduce emissions on a global scale. The report notes that just nine of these companies could cut global Greenhouse Gas emissions by 19.2 million tonnes a year by 2030, roughly the same as the carbon absorbed by New Zealand’s forests.
Commenting on the report, MacDiarmid Institute Director Professor Nicola Gaston said what stands out is that many of these companies are based on talent and IP coming straight out of research labs. ‘We’re seeing our scientists and engineers step into founder roles and turn New Zealand’s world-class research into real-world climate solutions.’
The report authors say there’s an opportunity to leverage New Zealand’s strengths and grow the commercial and environmental benefits of our public research here and that Cleantech innovators are scaling quickly, with the need for capital outstripping supply. 
The preface to the previous Cleantech report in 2024 included the aspirations of Will Barker, CEO of Mint Innovation, who said: 
‘In the landscape of global innovation, New Zealand occupies a unique position – a fertile ground for the seeds of clean technology. Yet, despite its promising environment for development, the domestic market does not fully capture the potential of these emerging clean technologies and the longer-term impact they could have on the New Zealand economy.’ 
Mint Innovation has since established commercial partnerships with Jaguar and HP to recycle lithium batteries and recover metals from circuit boards, respectively. 
Nicola said that the 2024 Cleantech Report had identified New Zealand’s Cleantech sector as full of promise with real global potential.
'This 2026 Cleantech Report shows it’s now actually happening,' she said. 'Companies are scaling quickly and delivering real impact across energy and sustainability, but they are starting to run up against a lack of capital to keep that momentum going.
'She said this reinforced the importance of a strong ecosystem to support those leading this work in New Zealand.
‘It has taken a long time to build this capability, and the expertise now moving from research labs into commercial Cleantech is something we need to protect and cherish,’ Nicola said.
'This report really shows the role of researchers in building this Cleantech ecosystem,' she added.
Sophie Braggins, Ara Ake chief executive, says energy innovation remains a major opportunity for New Zealand. This follows Ara Ake’s recent backing of Cetogenix, a New Zealand Cleantech start-up transforming organic biomass into energy, nutrients, and biobased products.
‘We’re committed to supporting start-ups such as Cetogenix and OpenStar Technologies, and we hope this sends a strong signal to the sector,’ she said.
MacDiarmid Institute Deputy Director for Commercialisation, Associate Professor Natalie Plank said New Zealand is doing well for a small country in terms of quality of tech but needs more capital to scale up.
'The potential here is huge, both for emissions reduction and economic growth,’ she says. ‘But to realise it, the Cleantech report is saying these companies need faster access to capital and stronger support to scale.’
The 2026 Cleantech Report has four key recommendations to enhance the impact and commercial success of New Zealand Cleantech researcher innovators:
1.Grow Innovation into Impact – International investors in Cleantech are invited to partner with local innovators to help them scale at pace.
2.Improve Impact Measurement and Communication – Cleantech innovators are urged to calculate their future impact and share these insights with investors and policymakers.
3.Enhance Government Support and International Investment – Government should support Cleantech innovators to scale up for global reach in sourcing capital and market access in the green economy.
4.Integrate Cleantech into Policy – New Zealand policymakers should use this new powerful tool to plan our economic transition to a low carbon economy.
Nicola also said the report reinforces what the government is already hearing from across the research and innovation sector.
‘The government will have seen several recent reports from NZGCP, TIN, NZTech and SBC all pointing to similar conclusions. What sets this report apart is the focus on early-stage Cleantech innovators, many of them operating in the hard to abate areas and offering solutions to energy and supply chain resilience, and critical materials access.’
The report quantifies for the first time the decarbonisation opportunity for local climate innovation.
The report was launched at the first national Cleantech Expo, which was organised by Auckland Council’s Economic Development Office. The expo was hosted by the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and supported by the New Zealand Cleantech Mission.
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Tech – LogicMonitor and Chillisoft scale AI-driven observability across ANZ

Source: LogicMonitor

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 20 APRIL 2026:  LogicMonitor®, the AI-first platform for Autonomous IT, today announced a strategic partnership with Chillisoft to scale growth across Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). The partnership combines LogicMonitor's unified platform with Chillisoft's established cybersecurity partner ecosystem to expand distribution and market reach, while supporting organisations as they move toward more autonomous, resilient IT operations.

Chillisoft is a specialist cybersecurity software distributor operating in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. It provides technical support, pre-sales consulting, and managed services, including managed detection and response (MDR) to reseller partners and enterprises.

Through this partnership, LogicMonitor becomes Chillisoft's first dedicated observability and AI-driven IT operations partner, underscoring a shared commitment to a scalable, partner-led go-to-market model focused on long-term regional growth.

The collaboration also strengthens how both organisations bring AI capabilities to market. Powered by Edwin AI, LogicMonitor enables teams to prioritise alerts, detect anomalies, and identify root causes earlier, while supporting more efficient and consistent operational outcomes. Chillisoft complements this by helping partners translate these capabilities into tangible customer value.

As one of LogicMonitor's most mature markets outside the United States, ANZ represents a significant opportunity to expand adoption of Autonomous IT. By combining LogicMonitor's platform with Chillisoft's partner network, the companies will enhance how intelligent insights and automated actions are delivered to customers across the region.

Gavin Lawless, CEO Australia, Chillisoft, said the partnership with LogicMonitor is designed to address a common scaling challenge. “Chillisoft's vendors are growing quickly; however, they don't have large in-country teams. Many are being asked to deliver strong growth year on year without significantly increasing headcount. That's where Chillisoft comes in. We operate as an extension of the business, often to the point where the lines between vendor and distributor become seamless.”

Lawless added, “LogicMonitor brings Chillisoft an AI-first platform for Autonomous IT, unifying visibility from user to code across infrastructure, cloud, Internet, and digital experience. This strengthens our ability to support partners with end-to-end visibility across the infrastructure environment, an increasingly critical requirement as organisations manage more complex, interconnected systems.”

Luke Fogarty, Regional Vice President, Technical Services APAC at LogicMonitor, said, “Organisations are placing greater emphasis on resilience and visibility across their digital environments as AI adoption accelerates. This partnership enables LogicMonitor to scale through a well-established partner network, while ensuring partners are equipped with the expertise needed to deliver consistent, high-quality outcomes for customers.”

The partnership introduces a two-tier distribution model, with Chillisoft working with resellers, consulting partners, and managed service providers (MSPs), who in turn deliver solutions to end customers or operate LogicMonitor in multi-tenant environments.

Strengthening presence in New Zealand

New Zealand is a key focus for the partnership. Chillisoft brings an established local presence built over nearly three decades, with strong relationships across partners and customers. LogicMonitor primarily operates in the region through partners, making Chillisoft's footprint a critical enabler of further growth.

Fogarty added, “New Zealand is an important growth market for LogicMonitor. Working with Chillisoft allows us to scale through an experienced local team, deliver joint initiatives, and more closely support partners and customers.”

LogicMonitor plans to launch a New Zealand-based data centre later this year as part of its long-term regional strategy. The facility will complement existing infrastructure in Sydney and Singapore, providing improved performance, reduced latency, and enhanced support for data sovereignty and compliance requirements for customers across the Asia Pacific region.

This investment reflects LogicMonitor's understanding of the region's operational and regulatory needs, as well as the growing demand for resilient, enterprise-grade digital operations. With greater control and localised performance, organisations will be better equipped to deliver secure, high-quality digital services.

As hybrid environments expand and internet dependencies increasingly sit on the critical path of digital services, local infrastructure will help enterprises maintain resilient, secure, and high-performing operations.

About LogicMonitor

LogicMonitor® is the AI-first platform for Autonomous IT, enabling enterprises to operate complex digital systems with greater resilience, efficiency and confidence. By unifying visibility from user to code across infrastructure, cloud, internet and digital experience, LogicMonitor delivers the intelligence required to anticipate issues, eliminate blind spots and take action automatically. Powered by Edwin AI, LogicMonitor helps IT and business leaders reduce operational toil, protect revenue and accelerate innovation in an increasingly complex digital world.

For more information, visit www.logicmonitor.com

About Chillisoft

Chillisoft is a multi-award-winning specialist cybersecurity solutions distributor. Established in New Zealand in 1998, Chillisoft has firmly maintained its base while also extending into both Australia and the wider Pacific region. With continuous growth, Chillisoft thrives in servicing the Oceania region, providing the best possible cybersecurity solutions. Chillisoft works with leading and emerging vendors to bring top-level solutions to its reseller partners and their customers. The company carefully selects leading or emerging products from reliable and reputable vendors that can benefit its resellers and end-user clients in target markets.

For more information, visit https://www.chillisoft.net/.

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Health – ACC GP‑led MRI programme goes nationwide, cutting weeks off diagnosis times

Source: ProCare

ProCare is pleased to announce that the ACC GP-led MRI Programme will launch in Manawatū, the final region in New Zealand to access the service. With the support of THINK Hauora, this expansion means eligible patients with knee, lumbar or cervical spine injuries nationwide will be able to access MRI scans sooner, without needing to see a specialist first — a significant milestone in improving timely access to care.

The milestone marks the culmination of nearly nine years of work since ProCare and Mercy (now Allevia) Radiology first piloted a GP‑led MRI referral pathway in 2017.

The programme enables trained GPs and nurse practitioners (NPs) to directly refer eligible patients for MRI scans, removing the need for an initial specialist appointment. Evidence shows the pathway can reduce MRI wait times and time away from work by around two to three weeks, helping patients receive diagnoses and treatment sooner. It also eases pressure on specialist services and delivers savings to the wider health system and ACC.

Bindi Norwell, Chief Executive at ProCare, says reaching nationwide coverage is a significant milestone for both patients and primary care.

“When we launched this programme as a pilot in 2017, the aim was simple — to remove unnecessary steps and get people the right care sooner,” Norwell says.

“Nearly a decade on, having this pathway available nationwide shows how general practice‑led innovation improves outcomes for patients and their whānau, while also strengthening the health system.”

“We’re grateful to ACC and the primary health organisations that have chosen to work together with us on this mahi. Together we're demonstrating what primary care can achieve at scale.”

More than 1,500 GPs and NPs have already used the programme in the upper North Island, where ProCare and Pinnacle deliver it on behalf of 18 primary health organisations — with many more clinicians using the service through other PHOs across the country.

Participating clinicians complete training in musculoskeletal assessment, ACC eligibility, referral processes, and clinical governance giving them the confidence to manage patients' care closer to home.

In the upper North Island, the programme is supported by ProCare’s ProFusion digital platform, which helps ensure referrals meet clinical guidelines and supports clinical quality and governance. The system links GP referrals with MRI reports and uses automated checks to support continuous improvement, while providing assurance for ACC.

ACC, which partners with ProCare and primary health organisations nationwide to deliver the programme, says the pathway aligns with its focus on improving recovery and long‑term outcomes.

Megan Main, Chief Executive at ACC, says: “ACC acknowledges and values ProCare’s leadership and contribution to the development of the GPMRI service. GPMRI demonstrates the impact that strong collaboration between ACC and primary care can have in improving recovery outcomes for injured New Zealanders, while also supporting the long-term sustainability of the scheme.”

The national rollout has been delivered in partnership with ACC, Pinnacle Midlands Health Network, Pegasus Health, Tū Ora Compass, WellSouth and other primary care partners across the motu. With the addition of Manawatū, patients everywhere in Aotearoa New Zealand now have access to a faster, simpler MRI referral pathway led by primary care.

About ProCare
ProCare is a leading healthcare provider that aims to deliver the most progressive, pro-active and equitable health and wellbeing services in Aotearoa. We do this through our clinical support services, mental health and wellness services, virtual/tele health, mobile health, smoking cessation and by taking a population health and equity approach to our mahi.

 As New Zealand’s largest Primary Health Organisation, we represent a network of general practice teams and healthcare professionals who provide care to nearly 700,000 patients across Auckland and Northland. These practices serve the largest Pacific and South Asian populations enrolled in general practice and the largest Māori population in Tāmaki Makaurau. For more information go to www.procare.co.nz