Rural health and the Regional Rural Advisory Group

Rural health accounts for 30 per cent of the Pinnacle general practice network with our 35 rural practices looking after the needs of  142,000 people, of which:

• 24 per cent are Māori
• 38 per cent have high health care needs.

Rural communities face specific problems due to “the tyranny of distance”. Access is the rural issue – access to services, access to diagnostics, access to secondary care support, access to locums, access to continuing professional development.

The RRAG meets regularly with our Te Whatu Ora partners in the Rural Service Level Alliance Team, and links into Hauora Taiwhenua and national advocacy through Dr Jeremey Webber. 

The current members are:

• Jo Scott Jones – Chair
• Dr Brendan Eade – Te Aroha
• Dr Roger Smith – Dallas Clinic 
• Dr Keith Buswell – Te Kūiti MC
• Dr Michael Miller – Whangamatā 
• Lorraine Macallister – Mercury Bay Medical Centre
• Mike Loten – West Cost
• Nick Loveridge – Oakura Medical
• Julie Penwarded – Mercury Bay Medical Cente 
• Rebecca Townsend – Whangamatā Medical Centre

If you are interested in attending the RRAG meetings at any time, or want to put yourself forward for membership please contact drjo@pinnacle.health.nz.

In this webinar recording, Ross Lawrenson speaks about why Aotearoa New Zealand needs a rural medical school, what has been done in the past to address the health workforce needs of rural communities and the plan for the Waikato Medical School and the impact it is hoped to have on rural general practice.

Technical difficulties meant Ross' presentation didn't view correctly in this recording, you can view Ross' PowerPoint presentation below.