Is there confusion over the role of 'physician associates'?
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RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
Hysteroscopy outpatient service at North Shore Hospital to speed up diagnosis
North Shore Hospital in Auckland. Photo: rafaelbenari/123RF A new outpatient hysteroscopy service at Auckland's North Shore Hospital will help gynaecological patients get a faster diagnosis. Health Minister Simeon Brown said it combines their first specialist assessment (FSA) and diagnostic procedure into a single visit. "This is a practical, patient-focused pathway that means women can get the answers they need sooner, without the stress and delays of multiple appointments or hospital admission," Brown said. A hysteroscopy is a procedure used to look inside the womb (uterus) and at the lining of the womb. A sample (biopsy) of the lining is usually taken as part of a diagnostic hysteroscopy, to look for abnormalities. Patients with symptoms such as abnormal vaginal bleeding, irregular periods and infertility might be referred for a hysteroscopy. "Previously, women needing a hysteroscopy would attend an initial specialist appointment and then wait weeks to undergo the procedure in theatre under general anaesthetic." Brown said the new approach removed that delay for women suitable for the treatment. "Now, women needing an uncomplicated hysteroscopy procedure can choose to have both the specialist assessment and the procedure in a single outpatient appointment. "That means fewer hospital visits, less time off work or away from family, and a much more streamlined experience. "For women with a high suspicion of cancer, this pathway can reduce the diagnostic timeline by two to six weeks compared to traditional models. That time could make all the difference." Health Minister Simeon Brown. Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER North Shore Hospital expects to deliver around 60 outpatient hysteroscopy clinics over the next 12 months, with approximately 240 procedures. "Every outpatient procedure frees up valuable theatre space and clinical teams for patients who require more complex surgery. That's better for patients, and better for the whole system," Brown said. The new service meant a significant proportion of uncomplicated hysteroscopies that would have otherwise been performed in theatre under anaesthesia can now be done safely as outpatient procedures. "This is part of a regional effort to improve the quality, timeliness, and experience of care for women undergoing investigation for gynaecological cancers. "It will also play an important role in meeting our faster cancer treatment target by speeding up diagnosis and helping women start treatment sooner." The new service followed similar successful models already operating in Auckland, Counties Manukau, and Waikato. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
Government removes barrier in bid to increase counsellors in public mental health workforce
Previously, counsellors were excluded from publicly funded roles due to a lack of formal regulation. Photo: 123rf A barrier preventing hundreds of counsellors from working in publicly funded mental health services has been removed. Health New Zealand, in partnership with the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC), has finalised a strengthened accreditation pathway. Previously, counsellors were excluded from publicly funded roles due to a lack of formal regulation. Health NZ, alongside the largest counselling membership and accredited professional body, NZAC, worked on one recognised and robust accreditation pathway. Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said it is a "common-sense step" that unlocks existing workforce capacity at a time of high demand. "I've been clear from day one, workforce shortages are one of the key barriers to delivering timely mental health support for New Zealanders in their time of need," Doocey said. "This is a practical and common-sense decision that ensures we're making full use of the experienced counsellors already working in our communities." He said there are more than 330 counsellors now eligible through this expanded pathway and the move is expected to bolster primary mental health workforce initiatives. "We are starting to turn the corner with reducing wait times and increasing the workforce. We have more mental health nurses, psychologists, support workers and addiction counsellors working on the ground, and overall vacancy rates are starting to ease," Doocey said. "While many challenges remain, this is yet another step this Government is taking to turn the corner on the longstanding mental health workforce vacancies. "When someone is making the brave step of reaching out to get support, workforce should never be a barrier." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
8 hours ago
- RNZ News
Hundreds of babies to benefit from Northland's first milk bank
The bank's first donor, Whangārei mum Ashlee Robinson, with Whangārei Rotary Club South past president Jenni Moore, who led the fundraising campaign for the almost $33,000 pasteuriser. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Northland's first human milk bank is expected to benefit hundreds of premature and unwell babies every year. Whangārei mum Ashlee Robinson was the first person to donate milk when the new service opened at the city's Te Kotuku maternity unit on Friday afternoon. She said her own baby spent a month in the hospital's neo-natal unit, so she knew how much the milk bank was needed. "I saw my milk sitting there in excess, and all these other babies that could be benefiting from it but at the time couldn't - and now they can," she said. "It makes me quite emotional because I would have accepted milk when my baby was in there and needed it... those babies are quite vulnerable, and I'd do anything to help them." The bank's first donor, Whangārei mum Ashlee Robinson, watches as her milk is stored in the milk bank freezer until needed. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Northland director of midwifery Sue Bree likened breast milk to "liquid gold". "It is love turned into food. Of course, there are many, many nutritional benefits as well. Premature babies have specific needs in terms of immunity and the antibodies that are in breast milk," she said. Bree said women who wished to donate milk would be able to drop it off at a collection point in central Whangārei. It would then be pasteurised and frozen until needed. Bree compared the milk bank project to a pregnancy, albeit one with a more than two-year gestation period. It had been made possible by "incredible generosity" from the community, which had raised the almost $33,000 needed to buy the pasteuriser. "It's a pragmatic manifestation of the saying, 'It takes a village to raise a child'," Bree said. A premature baby in Whangārei Hospital's Te Kotuku neonatal unit. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Bree said Northland had high rates of breastfeeding but donated milk was needed for sick and pre-term babies. "Sometimes they don't have access to breast milk, either because it's early days and the mother is unable to produce it, or there are other, long-term issues. So, we recognised this was going to be a really beneficial thing for our sick and vulnerable pēpi (babies)." Small, premature babies would be prioritised, but donated milk could also be given to babies in the maternity ward with low blood sugar levels. In the past, premature babies had mainly been given formula, made from cow's milk, which was essential but not ideal. She expected hundreds of babies a year would benefit. Midwife Louise Rowden said a mother's breast milk was the perfect food. "But if the mother can't get her own breast milk, then the next best thing is another mother's breast milk," she said. Lactation consultant Janine Parsons said breast milk also brought long-term health benefits, including reduced rates of diabetes, cardio-vascular problems, obesity and allergies in later life. She said pasteurisation eliminated bacteria and viruses but preserved "the vast majority" of antibodies and vitamins. Donors would also complete a health questionnaire and a blood test, to check for diseases that could be transmitted through breast milk. The milk would be tested after pasteurisation to ensure it was safe. Public fundraising for the pasteuriser was led by Whangārei Rotary Club South, with contributions from Hāpai Te Hauora, Whangārei Lions, Whangārei City Rotary, Northland Community Foundation. Much of the money came from an auction of artworks bequeathed by the late Kerikeri artist Valerie Hunton, who had a lifelong commitment to women's health across the Pacific. Whangārei mum Ashlee Robinson, the first donor, cuts the ribbon to open Northland's first human milk bank. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Whangārei's new milk bank was used within an hour of opening for a pre-term baby who had spent a week in the neonatal unit. Mum Emma, from Whangārei, said she wanted to give her baby breast milk from the beginning, but had to use formula instead. She said it was "really exciting" to be the first person in Northland to use the service. "It's so good to have this option now. And baby's great. We've just got the go-ahead to go home," she said. He Piropiro Waiū Human Milk Bank is the fifth public milk bank in the motu, after Christchurch, Wellington, Nelson and Blenheim. There are also private milk banks in Christchurch and Palmerston North. Health New Zealand is working on a system to transport donated breast milk to other parts of Northland.
