increase font size
Gypsy Day is over and now is the time for dairy farming families to register with a medical practice in their new district.
June brings the start of a new dairy season and with it the movement of sharemilkers into and around their new region. However, registering with a new GP is often overlooked when families move into a new area, says WellSouth Primary Health Network GP advisor Dr Keith Abbott.
He says registering is an important part of the move, so health services can be accessed quickly when they are needed. It also means those needing health care will benefit from a subsidised consultation.
The process is simple: fill in an enrolment form with a local medical practice, and give consent for the new practice to source the individual’s health records from their old practice. That way the notes will be there the next time a family member needs to make an appointment.
And if you aren’t registered with any medical practice, now’s a good time to enroll: doctor’s visits are subsidised for enrolled patients, so routine visits are cheaper and certain PHO programmes may even be free.
Doctor visits are free for children under six in Otago and Southland if they registered.
“Medical practices aren’t only there for when you’re unwell; regular checkups and screening are a positive way to monitor and manage health, particularly if you are in a stressful job, smoke or don’t follow a healthy lifestyle,” Abbott says.
Research lending to the production of dairy products that benefit the elderly and improves the overall wellbeing of all people is a key focus of Fonterra's Research and Development centre, based in Palmerston North.
The Government wants to make sure that rural communities get a level of service that people who live in cities often complacently expect.
Over 1,000 Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers in the Hawke’s Bay have now been immunised against measles.
Hato Hone St John is urging Kiwis to have a safe summer this year.
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) says Pharmac needs to reconsider its decision to fund only one brand of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) patches used by women going through perimenopause and menopause.
Two butcheries have claimed victory at the 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards for 2025.
A Taupiri farming company has been convicted and fined $52,500 in the Hamilton District Court for the unlawful discharge of dairy effluent into the environment.
The Climate Change Commission’s 2025 emissions reduction monitoring report reveals steady progress on the reduction of New Zealand’s climate pollution.
Another milestone has been reached in the fight against Mycoplasma bovis with the compensation assistance service being wound up after helping more than 1300 farmers.
The Government’s directive for state farmer Landcorp Farming (trading as Pamu) to lifts its performance is yielding results.
The move to bring bovine TB testing in-house at Ospri officially started this month, as a team of 37 skilled and experienced technicians begin work with the disease eradication agency.
OPINION: Will synthetic milk derail NZ's economy?
OPINION: According to media reports, the eye-watering price of butter has prompted Finance Minister Nicola Willis to ask for a…
