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Previously called Pin Points
In this section we share clinical and practice operations updates from Pinnacle and the wider health sector. Use the search box and filters to help find what you’re looking for.
Have an update you’d like to share? Email us.
Macrolide-resistant Bordetella pertussis (MRBP) has recently been detected by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) and is an emerging issue in Aotearoa New Zealand. The NPHS is currently assessing the situation and gathering expert local and international opinion. Further advice will follow when available.
Read moreAPEX union members will take staggered strike action between Saturday 22 and Friday 28 March, 2025. Affecting lab testing across Te Manawa Taki, APEX union members from Awanui will walk off the job from 25 to 27 March, while Pathlab workers will go on strike from 24 to 26 March and Medlab/TLab workers from 22 to 28 March. For the latest updates on lab services in your area, please check the website(s) of the pathology labs you use.
Read moreConsultation is currently open focused on the 50,000 disabled people, and their whānau, who receive essential disability support after an assessment from a Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordination (NASC) organisation, or an Enabling Good Lives (EGL) site. Disability Support Services want to stabilise disability support services so that they are fairer, more consistent, more transparent, and sustainable into the future.
Read moreThe National Public Health Service (NPHS) is requesting healthcare professionals to be alert for mpox in people who attended the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras events from 14 February to 2 March 2025.
Read moreThe number of ear swabs submitted to Pathlab for microbiological processing has steadily increased over the last few years. The external auditory canal is not a sterile site, and the value of microbiological culture in the routine management of otitis externa and chronic suppurative otitis media is limited. Pathlab has outlined the situations they recommend ear swabs are sent to the laboratory.
Read moreIn October 2024, Te Whatu Ora released an interim statement regarding the lifespan of pharmaceutical fridges for vaccine storage that have reached 10 years of age. The statement confirms that providers with a fridge that is reaching 10 years can continue to use the fridge and do not need to replace it as previously required. However, there is a requirement the monitoring of the vaccine fridge is changed to a remote monitoring system. Read more here.
Read moreThe Medical Council of New Zealand has responded to frequently asked questions about patients requesting copies of their medical records and clarified the following information.
Read moreThis webinar explores sustainability in the healthcare sector. Representatives from Aotearoa New Zealand-based healthcare organisations Hato Hone St John, Tū Ora Compass Health, and Wise Group shared about their sustainability journeys, key learnings and advice, and the link between healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy planet.
Read moreThis survey is being circulated by the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) on behalf of researchers at the Universities of Auckland and Otago. The survey is designed to understand the changing barriers, challenges, and facilitators to vaccine uptake in pēpi and tamariki according to the frontline vaccinator workforce in Aotearoa New Zealand. They are also wanting to understand what support vaccinators need to work effectively with whānau to support immunisation uptake.
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