Our Services |
Ā mātou ratonga

Ensuring wellbeing for all the family including children’s developmental, behavioural and physical health. All enrolled children 13 years of age and under are eligible for free GP services.

We conduct various child health checks

• Age-related health checks and measurements
• Developmental and milestone monitoring
• Child immunisations: Make a booking with your GP for a check for your baby at 6 weeks, which includes the first immunisation. Otherwise, book with a Practice Nurse directly for all other childhood immunisations.

These can be referred to in your child’s Personal Health Record also known as the Well Child Tamariki Ora My Health Book.
We treat a range of childhood conditions and illnesses. Some of the more common child health complaints include:

• Allergies
• Asthma
• Eczema
• Ear infections
• Bladder infections
• Colds
• Upper respiratory infections
• Vomiting and diarrhoea

Our Doctors offer information and advice, dealing with a variety of concerns for women, starting from the early teenage years through to adulthood, including pregnancy, menopause, post­menopause, and beyond.

Child Immunisations
Post Partum check for mum, and baby’s six week check are booked with the GP together.

We provide the full range of free immunisations currently funded on the Ministry of Health immunisation schedule.  If you feel you may have missed out on the complete schedule, feel free to discuss with our nursing team as often a funded catch-up schedule can be arranged. 

School Immunisation Program
If this is missed during the school program, we can administer the necessary vaccination/s. Or if parents prefer to bring a child into the practice for their immunisations, they can book with a nurse.

Vaccinations and Pregnancy
If you are planning to become pregnant it is highly recommended to check which vaccinations you may need before you become pregnant. Whooping Cough vaccination is strongly recommended for all expecting parents and other adults such as grandparents who will be in close contact with a new baby. Newborns are at risk of serious complications if they contract whooping cough.  Pregnant women can have a free whooping cough vaccine from sixteen weeks. This provides optimal protection for new babies. The Flu/Influenza vaccine can also be given. 

Adult Vaccinations
Please note not all adult vaccines are funded. Some incur a cost and are only free to particular age groups or medical conditions. Immunisation is still relevant in adulthood as ongoing protection is required for preventable diseases. Even if vaccinations were given in childhood, adults may need booster doses to maintain immunity. There are a range of adult vaccines available at our practice.

List of Vaccines

• Whooping Cough (also known as Pertussis)
• Influenza/Flu
• Measles -Mumps-Rubella
• Chickenpox (also known as Varicella)
• Pneumococcal Disease
• Tetanus
• Diptheria
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
• We offer the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule (now including HPV Virus) for all eligible children.
• Whooping Cough is funded for pregnant women from sixteen weeks and recommended (but not funded) for close family members i.e. partner, grandparents, and close family members.
• Tetanus boosters are recommended at 45 and 65 years of age or early in the case of dirty
• wounds.

Travel Vaccinations – Child and Adult
These need to be booked directly with your GP.

Travel related Diseases we can help you avoid:

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Typhoid
• Meningococcal disease
• Rabies
• Japanese Encephalitis
• Tetanus, Diptheria + Polio
• Travellers Diarrhoea (Cholera)

Our team all have the expertise to help choose and use the best option for you. We can also refer to one of our branches for long term contraceptives such as copper IUD, mirena and jadelle.

Our team is trained to complete minor surgery within the practice and there are a number of common procedures we offer, including skin lesions and biopsies.

ECG’s are available with our nurses. An appointment is required.

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases we manage; we aim for a management plan tailored to each patient to improve your quality of life and help control long-term risks. We do Diabetes Annual Reviews for people with an established diagnosis of Diabetes, this is free for patients enrolled at our practice. This annual review assesses your for ongoing diabetes-related complications and for cardiovascular risk. 

Maintaining good health throughout a lifetime is one of the best ways to prevent disease from occurring in the body and enjoy quality of life as old age approaches. Our GP’s can help detect and treat disease early, to reduce the risk of a disease becoming serious, debilitating, or fatal.

Preventive health checks include:

General

• Annual check-ups for early detection of disease
• Non-funded smoking cessation advice
• Recommendations based on family medical history
• Skin Checks
• Fasting blood tests
• Stress heart tests
  
  

Women

• Breast checks
• Pap smears (Cervical Smears)
• Mammogram referrals

Men

• Prostate examination

If you feel as though things are not quite right with your mental health, your GP is usually the first port of call. Our GP’s are qualified to diagnose and treat a wide range of mental health issues. Some of the symptoms and triggers of a mental health issue can include:

• Life Crisis
• Family conflicts
• Suicidal thoughts
• Trauma
• Psychosis
• Relationship problems
• Constantly feeling ‘down’
• Constant worrying
• Constant feelings of anger
  
  

Mental Health has a significant impact on all aspects of life, including thoughts, feelings, behaviour, interactions, relationships, and decision-making. Mental health illnesses include anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, schizophrenia, addictions, anorexia and bulimia.

What our GP’s can do
The aim of seeing a professional to help with your mental health is to resolve psychological problems and improve your quality of life through various coping strategies.

Mental Health Assessment

• Refer you to the Te Whatu Ora-funded Brief Intervention Service – Health Improvement Practitioner and Health Coach for adults and youths
• Refer you to a Psychologist, Psychiatrist, other specialists or support group
• Prescribe medication
• Advise on positive lifestyle adjustments.

If appointments are available please book with our nurses or you can book directly with Awanui Labs.

In 2023, there was a change to the way cervical cancer screening is done in Aotearoa NZ from the previous cervical smear test.

The HPV (Human Papillomavirus) test is now the primary screening test for cervical cancer. The new test looks for the virus (HPV) which is known to cause more than 95% of cervical cancers. The virus is very common and is spread by intimate skin to skin contact or sexual activity.

Most adults will have HPV at some time in their lives. Infections usually clear by themselves, but some types of the virus which persist can go on to cause cell changes that turn into cancer.

Cervical cancer is preventable if you have regular screening.

The test is available to all women between the ages of 25 and 69 years who have ever been sexually active, even if you have been immunised against HPV. The HPV test is simple, easy, less uncomfortable, and very reliable.

There are 2 options for you to the new HPV testing –

• A vaginal swab which you can do yourself (self – test even at home) or have this done in the clinic by the nurse or
• You can have a cervix smear test done by a clinic nurse
  
  

Ask your nurse about your cervical screening options or the take-home test kit and instructions. In some cases, your screening test is free of charge.

We provide a comprehensive disease management programme including screening and ongoing management of diabetes, hypertension, gout, arthritis, COPD and heart failure. Many patients suffering from multiple medical conditions may be eligible for additional funding to ensure a higher level of service provision.

A doctor’s consultation is needed prior to cryotherapy, in order to determine if this is the best form of treatment. Once the lesion is diagnosed, consecutive treatments will be carried out by a practice nurse, more often than not the lesion will require more than one treatment, the treatments must be a minimum of two weeks apart. The nurse will explain the process to you at your appointment prior to commencing the therapy. 

Pre-Employment Medicals are available and will require additional time as they are tailored to each individual workplaces needs – including instant Drug and Alcohol Testing. Some of the testing may require you to visit Awanui Labs.  

We can take the ease out of your unexpected doctors visit and claim directly through Southern Cross.

Our nurses can assist you onto your healthy path.

When applying for a NZ Driver Licence, or renewing or replacing your licence, you are required to fill out and sign a medical declaration form. You will sometimes need to produce a medical certificate stating you are able to drive safely. We can help with this examination when required. Our doctors and nurses can give you an eye test and carry out a Driver Licence medical assessment to ensure your fitness to drive. A medical fitness certificate for a driving licence is easy to arrange and it also means that you have had a basic health check.

Our expert team is privileged to provide care to patients through the last phase of their lives. We aim to tailor our services to anticipate your needs as closely as possible.