Podcasts about health new zealand

The government has announced it will increase funding for aged care. Residential care providers will receive an additional $79 million from Health New Zealand. Tracey Martin from the Aged Care Association spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Host Paul Spain sits down with Jonathan Good, Co-Founder and CEO of Scentian Bio, to dive into the "digitisation of smell and taste “and what it means for industries in New Zealand and beyond. Jonathan shares about the realities of fundraising both locally and abroad, and the challenges and opportunities of bringing cutting-edge chemical sensing technology to market.Plus, Paul and Jonathan explore the latest tech news, including:Health New Zealand's Hybrid Cloud MigrationSpark's Verified Call Feature Against ScamsWorkday's Go Platform expands to NZ & AU2degrees' Shaping Business Study 2026Is AI More Expensive Than Humans?UN Report warns of the Environmental Impact of AIA big thank you to our show partners One NZ, Spark, Workday, 2degrees, Fortinet and Gorilla Technology.

I like how the government's recent moves are trying to create a more integrated and responsive health system. Last week they moved on pharmacists and during the weekend it was with paramedics. It's about making the most of the workforce we already have by extending what they do, with the aim being to reduce treatment delays, improve patient experiences and take the pressure of our stretched primary health care providers. Last Tuesday changes to the services pharmacists can provide kicked in. instead of waiting for a GP appointment, paying for a GP appointment, or paying over the counter prices for treatments, you can head to your local chemist where your pharmacists is now be funded to provide a consultation and supply a funded treatment at a low cost. The benefits are obvious. Patients can get more affordable care quickly and closer to home, while taking pressure off GPs and emergency departments. Over the weekend, the Health Minister Simeon Brown announced that paramedics will soon be able to prescribe medicines that fall within their scope of practice. At the moment paramedics can administer medicines but can't prescribe them. Once again, the idea is to reduce pressure on emergency departments by being able to help more patients receive treatment in their homes and communities. The Health Minister said "Giving paramedics the ability to prescribe medicines will enable them to provide more complete care when it is clinically appropriate, rather than transferring patients elsewhere, such as an emergency department, solely to obtain a prescription.” This will be beneficial where it makes sense for people to be assessed, treated and prescribed at home; such as the elderly, those in palliative care, and those living in rural and remote areas. Hato Hone St John says it supports paramedic prescribing as a positive step in the evolution of the paramedic profession and ambulance care. Jon Moores, Hato Hone St John Deputy Chief Executive said what we're all thinking. "It is important that robust clinical governance, training, prescribing frameworks and patient safeguards are in place to ensure prescribing is used appropriately and safely." He said, “it is important that the necessary funding and support mechanisms are in place to ensure ambulance services can continue to meet their existing commitments while taking on these expanded responsibilities." The Health minister confirmed with me yesterday on the Sunday Session that the government would continue to invest in paramedics, and funding this will be subject to negations between Health New Zealand and our ambulance providers. According to Brown it may take a year or two to get this approved and up and running. Look – this isn't transformation change for the health sector. You could perhaps call it tinkering around the edges. But small changes can still be worthwhile change. Talk to clinicians, and they will often tell you fixing problems is not always about needing more money but about creating better systems and using money more wisely. So, these are small changes, but they will make life easier for patients Something tells me that once they're safely implemented, we'll wonder why we didn't do this earlier. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Protecting health data isn't just a technical challenge, but a shared responsibility that is critical to maintaining patient trust and system resilience.In this episode Pete Booth, Acting Chief Information Security Officer at Health New Zealand, discusses the evolving cyber landscape in healthcare.He talks about bolstering cybersecurity in health, from managing third-party risks and enforcing the NCSC standards, to embedding security by design in AI and digital health innovations and Health New Zealand's central Security Operations Centre.Note - This episode was recorded before reports into the MMH data breach were released on May 27.

Three reports have been released today analysing the breach of Health New Zealand's patient portal Manage My Health. In December, hundreds of thousands of medical files were stolen in a cyber-attack which is being described as one of the country's biggest cyber security incidents. Reports into the breach found a litany of issues were responsible, including a lack of security, lack of independent checks and a lack of any privacy or security specialists. Which all sounds quite, well, lacking. So we wanted to find out how you can trust your data is safe. Frith Tweedie, a partner at SimplyPrivacy, an online privacy and AI governance consultancy, chats to Jesse.

The Privacy Commissioner has issued a damning report into the hacking of the Manage My Health app - private information of almost 100-thousand New Zealanders was stolen in the breach in December last year. The Commissioner highlighed significant failures by Health New Zealand and Manage My Health, issuing both with compliance notices .. and recommending law changes to strengthen accountability. Health NZ Chief Financial Officer Bevan McKenzie spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Health NZ is apologising for the Manage My Health cyber-attack. The Privacy Commissioner has found both failed to protect sensitive patient information. Over 90% of the 100 thousand patients affected late last year were Northlanders. Health NZ says it's working on a response plan after commissioning its own report from Deloitte. Chief Financial Officer Bevan McKenzie told Ryan Bridge cyber risks are something to be highly aware of, and people themselves need to be vigilant as well. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists believes fewer people are receiving care than we're being told. Its new report —which looks at seven districts between 2023 and 2025— shows about 20% of GP specialist referrals are being declined. Executive Director Sarah Dalton told Mike Hosking it's down to staff shortages across the public and private sectors. She says it shows Health New Zealand isn't managing unmet need, and criticises the fact our targets-focused system doesn't provide targets for the workforce. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lack of Government data is making it impossible to know the extent of specialist referral rejections. A new Association of Salaried Medical Specialists report —which looks at seven districts between 2023 and 2025— shows one in five GP referrals are being declined. College of GPs President Luke Bradford told Ryan Bridge they have no idea how many people with lower graded conditions are being rejected. He says Health New Zealand doesn't record the proper data, or make each service's threshold clear. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We need to talk about what Chris Hipkins has said about immigration. First of all, Labour can frankly shut up accusing the Nats of anti-migrant rhetoric because this is a party that hasn't got a leg to stand on when it comes to migration. This is the party - and some of the very same people are still there - that campaigned on reducing immigration by up to 30,000 people in 2017, produced a list of Chinese-sounding names two years earlier and then shut down immigration completely, only to do the opposite by opening it up too much during and after COVID. So, on immigration - glass houses etc. But having said that, what National is proposing to do on immigration should worry businesses up and down this country that rely on migrants. And I'm looking at you - the aged-care sector wanting to bring in Filipino workers to look after our elderly; and I'm looking at you, Health New Zealand, needing to employ Indian nurses; and I'm looking at you, the construction sector, needing to bring in general labourers. Because Chris Luxon has made it clear in his speech he's shutting his door to businesses wanting to lobby him for migrant workers. He said: “My message to the business community is that when it comes to immigration, when I'm faced with a choice between social stability and your bottom line, I will choose the former every single time.” Now that begs the question to the Prime Minister: what does “social stability” mean? Is that basically you saying we've got too many Indian migrants? Which then begs the question: is National trying to match New Zealand First's anti-Indian rhetoric to avoid losing voters to them? Which then logically begs the next question: is Luxon putting his vote share at the election ahead of New Zealand's need to bring in the workers that we know we need? Because we've been through COVID, and we know that we do not do these low-skilled jobs - you need migrants to do them. So I think we should all be worried about this. I think businesses in New Zealand, in particular, should be very worried about this. And it begs a final question: if this is the position that National has taken, is there now even a single party in Parliament that is looking after New Zealand businesses? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Woolworths in the Hastings suburb of Flaxmere, has applied for a licence to sell alcohol seven days a week from 9am to 9pm. In its submission Health New Zealand say Flaxmere is a vulnerable community with high levels of deprivation and it's opposed the licence. Submissions on the application by Woolworths have been heard this week, Lawyer Grant Hewison, who is a member of Communities against Alcohol Harm spoke on behalf of a concerned resident. Hewison spoke to Lisa Owen.

A call tonight for a full independent review of a privately owned Southland lab service, after doctors twice missed signs a woman had cancer, delaying her treatment. She died a year later. Awanui labs failed to detect the 74 year old retired nurse had stomach cancer, despite analysing multiple biopsies, with cancer cells present. The lab is privately owned but is contracted by Health New Zealand to provide medical laboratory and pathology services. Advocacy group, Patient Voice Aotearoa wants an urgent wide ranging of the lab service, it's chair Malcolm Mulholland spoke to Lisa Owen.

Health New Zealand spent just over $216 million on locum doctors last year, up from the nearly $209 million spent in 2024, and just over $186 million in 2023. Health NZ clinical national director Dr Richard Sullivan says they are aiming to hire more permanent staff. But, Sullivan told Mike Hosking, locums will likely always be necessary, "getting people in certain parts of the country is a problem, always has been a problem, probably always will be a problem." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More Kiwis are signing up for nursing courses but there are concerns job opportunities aren't keeping up. Latest Ministry of Education data shows almost 18 thousand people were enrolled in nursing courses last year. About 34 thousand are studying other health courses. Nurses Society National Director David Wills told Mike Hosking the country is facing a health funding bottleneck, which has been making it very difficult for graduates to get roles in the past 18 months. He says Health New Zealand's trying to employ as many as possible and is subsidising the private sector to take on new graduates. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new proposal from Health New Zealand would allow community pharmacists to assess and treat children with conditions like scabies, head lice and conjunctivitis, pain and fever. General Practice New Zealand chair Dr Bryan Betty spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The latest push is a partnership between Health New Zealand and the College of GPs to attract doctors from overseas, focusing on those with UK medical qualifications. 

On call doctors and health workers are asking Health New Zealand to cover their travel costs as petrol prices head in one direction. The medical workers include junior doctors, MRI techs, psychologists, and lab scientists, who are called in outside their normal work hours, meaning they're often making repeat trips to hospital or other work sites. Apex national secretary Dr Deborah Powell spoke to Lisa Owen.

Two care worker unions are taking legal action against Health New Zealand, with the fuel crisis hitting their members hard. Health correspondent Kate Green reports.

New advice from Health New Zealand says many people don't need regular Covid boosters. Immunisation Advisory Centre medical director Nikki Turner spoke to Corin Dann.

There are concerns poor planning has contributed to the tsunami of demand on kidney disease treatment. Hospitals across New Zealand are struggling to keep up with life-saving dialysis treatment. Health New Zealand told 1News there's been a lack of funding in some parts of the country. General Practice NZ Chair Bryan Betty told Mike Hosking this problem was predicted 15 years ago, but no one planned ahead. He says it's driven primarily by a surge in diabetes, and if it's not addressed it will undermine the health system going forward. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concerns life-saving kidney care is underfunded across New Zealand. Dialysis - a vital treatment for thousands - can take hours, with some patients travelling long distances or managing care at home without any medical support. Health New Zealand admitted to 1News there's been a lack of funding in renal care in some parts of the country. Kidney Health New Zealand General Manager Madi Keaytold Ryan Bridge every hospital unit is struggling. She says Christchurch Hospital's come forward with concerns care may have to be rationed - and every unit would be feeling similar pressures. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are hopes faster emergency care will ease pressure across the health system. In the three months to October, about 74% of ED patients were admitted, discharged, or transferred within six hours. That's up from about 72% a year earlier. Health New Zealand Chief Clinical Officer Richard Sullivan told Mike Hosking teams are working hard to manage patient flow, as EDs are handling up to 7% more patients than last year. He says they're working to strengthen primary care, but the pressure is coming from illness in an ageing population and outbreaks. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 400,000 Kiwis have reported experiencing long-covid in newly-released figures from Health New Zealand. Larisa Hockey from Long Covid Support Aotearoa spoke to Corin Dann.

A return towards decentralisation is being painted as Health New Zealand's next chapter. The Government's reverting to giving hospitals more control - letting them decide staffing, budgets, and service delivery from July. It's adamant it's not a return to District Health Boards, with planning still done nationally. Acting chief executive Andrew Brant says Health NZ's finances are looking good and it's delivering more, but this ensures improvement continues. He explained the key change is bringing the operating model much more into the frontline - and communities into decisions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A push to decentralise the health system is at 'extreme' risk because of workforce shortages, according to a Health New Zealand internal report. RNZ's Phil Pennington spoke to Corin Dann.

The latest Health New Zealand figures show 50 hospitalisations and 19 deaths with the virus in the past week. Michael Baker, Professor of Public Health at the University of Otago spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Questions to Ministers Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? CAMERON BREWER to the Minister of Finance: Are events in the Middle East impacting the New Zealand economy? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI to the Minister for Child Poverty Reduction: What immediate actions is she taking to stop the escalation of the near-170,000 tamariki experiencing child poverty and hardship, particularly for Maori, who make up a quarter of this number across Aotearoa? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: Does he agree with Health New Zealand that "New Zealanders expect that companies involved in healthcare have secure systems and platforms that safeguard their private information"; if so, what steps has he taken to get assurance that all companies involved in healthcare have cyber-secure systems? MIKE BUTTERICK to the Minister of Finance: What recent announcements has she made regarding KiwiSaver? RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Will the Social Security (Accident Compensation and Calculation of Weekly Income) Amendment Bill impact ACC claimants who have survived sexual violence, survived abuse in care, and survived traumatic head injuries; if so, how many? CARL BATES to the Minister of Justice: What action is the Government taking to address disorderly behaviour in our communities? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister of Police: Are there more or fewer individuals on the National Gang List since he took office? Dr VANESSA WEENINK to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has he made about the use of AI scribes in our emergency departments? ANDY FOSTER to the Associate Minister of Health: What announcements has she made regarding tobacco and vape sale compliance?

A former board chair of Health New Zealand warns that health inflation is rapidly rising and urges the government to consider how it will respond. An Auckland property developer says the housing market is unlikely to see significant growth soon, noting there is already sufficient land available for apartment development. We also look at the new passport and visa requirements for travellers to the UK, as confusion lingers over what the changes mean. The CEO of Golden Bay Air discusses becoming the first airline to access the government's new regional aviation loan scheme, and a Wellington café owner shares concerns about the hospitality sector, saying it needs an extra boost to regain momentum.

The former board chair of Health New Zealand is warning health inflation is spiralling and the government needs to pivot its thinking in response. Former board chair of Te Whatu Ora Health NZ Rob Campbell spoke to Corin Dann.

Waikato district nurses say they're at the end of their tether as demand for their services soars. District nurses, who provide care for patients in the community rather than in hospitals or clinics, say they're severely understaffed and it's causing in burnout, stress and leading to widespread resignations. They also say it's putting their safety at risk. It comes as WorkSafe considers a complaint from the New Zealand Nurses Organisation that Health New Zealand's failure to improve district nurses' working conditions amounts to a breach of the Health and Safety Act. Bella Craig reports.

There are concerns using vaping as a tool to quit smoking contradicts the rest of the world. Health New Zealand's free vape programme has given out more than seven thousand devices to smokers, despite Newstalk ZB revealing last year's trial had a success rate of less than half. Now, a half-million-dollar contract has been signed to provide the devices through New Zealand-owned company, Alt. Auckland University vaping researcher Kelly Burrowes told Mike Hosking it isn't recommended as a quitting tool, due to the risk associated. She says that's why other countries aren't doing this. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Staff cuts are to blame for a massive IT outage at hospitals in Auckland and Northland according to a union. The Public Service Association says its members had to resort to paper systems and white boards overnight Wednesday after it says an outage took down Emergency Department, laboratory and in patient systems. Health New Zealand says hospitals and emergency departments remained open and patient care continued safely during the incident. The PSA says the latest failure is a direct result of cuts to Health New Zealand's digital team. PSA national Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons spoke to Lisa Owen.

A pop up clinic offering free dental care in Wairoa has been overwhelmed with demand in an area that hasn't had a full time dentist for half a decade. The clinic is a joint project between Health New Zealand, iwi, Kahungunu and Hawkes Bay's Golden Apple dentists. Patients have been prioritised according to need and there has been lots of them keen to get in the chair, with the clinic's two week run almost over. Dr Isha Woodhams of Golden Apple Dental spoke to Lisa Owen.

Questions to Ministers Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Minister for Auckland: Does he stand by his statement, "A safe, thriving central city means more foot traffic, stronger business confidence, more jobs, and more opportunities for everyone, including those currently experiencing hardship"; if not, why not? RIMA NAKHLE to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has he made about improving access to urgent care for South and East Aucklanders? RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Is the Civil Defence Payment available for people impacted by the severe weather events recognised by local states of emergency declared on 20 and 21 January 2026; if not, why not? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his statement that the Ministry of Health's review into the ManageMyHealth data breach will "identify lessons to strengthen protections for patient data held by the private sector"; if so, does Health New Zealand currently have a Chief Information Security Officer role dedicated to primary care? RYAN HAMILTON to the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality: What recent announcements has she made about supporting major events in New Zealand? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister of Education: Does she stand by her statement that "the numbers for the future are looking really good" in response to reports of a teacher shortage, with 445 vacancies listed in the Education Gazette at the start of the school year; if so, why? TAMATHA PAUL to the Minister of Housing: Does he support increasing housing supply to make housing more affordable; if so, why is the coalition considering weakening housing intensification laws? TIM VAN DE MOLEN to the Minister for Trade and Investment: What recent announcements has he made about strengthening New Zealand's relationship with India? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister for Economic Growth: Does she agree with the Minister of Finance's July 2024 statement that "cost of living relief is on its way"; if so, why? Dr VANESSA WEENINK to the Minister for Mental Health: What recent announcements has he made about mental health co-response teams? MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI to the Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery: Does he intend for the Emergency Management Bill (No 2) to establish funding to support community and marae preparedness to respond to extreme weather emergencies? SHANAN HALBERT to the Minister for Vocational Education: How many young people in New Zealand were not engaged in education, employment, or training for the September 2025 year compared to the September 2023 year?

Questions to Ministers Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? CAMERON BREWER to the Minister of Finance: What recent announcements has she made on the Budget? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? TIM COSTLEY to the Minister of Transport: What recent milestones have been achieved in the introduction of roadside drug testing? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his statement that "I welcome Health New Zealand's decision to offer around 1,400 hospital-based roles to the 2025 end of year cohort of nursing graduates, which means more than 80 percent of those who pass their exams are expected to secure positions"; if not, why not? RIMA NAKHLE to the Minister of Immigration: What recent announcements has she made regarding visa-waiver travel? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? TANGI UTIKERE to the Minister of Local Government: Does he stand by his claim that the Local Water Done Well model will mean cost increases would be more affordable for ratepayers, given councils' final plans show nearly $9 billion more in water spending than previously forecast? SUZE REDMAYNE to the Minister of Agriculture: What recent reports has he seen on the forecast for New Zealand's food and fibre exports? TODD STEPHENSON to the Associate Minister of Finance: What recent changes has he made regarding overseas investment?

A possible win for the General Practice Owners Association, as they take on the so-called healthcare duopoly and cost pressures. Their proposal for a breakaway Primary Health Organisation is gaining traction, with 116 GP practices, covering 833,000 enrolled patients, showing interest. If approved by Health New Zealand, it would become the country's largest PHO, representing around 16% of total enrolments. General Practice Owners Association Chair Dr Angus Chambers told Heather du Plessis-Allan that there's widespread dissatisfaction within the GP community. He says some of it's because PHOs have gone off their path and are doing things that aren't best for GPs, but they've also had years of underfunding and woeful workforce planning. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health New Zealand is appealing for people who have been at any of almost a dozen measles locations of interest to urgently call Healthline. Te Whatu Ora says anyone at the locations on the days and times listed could be at risk of developing measles and spreading it to others. To date there's been 30 cases in the outbreak. Health New Zealand's public health medicine specialist Dr Sharon Sime spoke to Lisa Owen.

There's been a jump in the number of measles cases with five confirmed yesterday. Health New Zealand's Dr Matthew Reid spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Health New Zealand says shifting appointments out of hospitals and into communities could spare Otago residents about 40-thousand road trips a year. It's unveiled some ideas for overhauling health services in Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes, after vowing in July to tackle long-standing inequities. As Katie Todd reports, the pitch had a mixed reaction in Wanaka.

Questions to Ministers SUZE REDMAYNE to the Minister for Economic Growth: What recent reports has she seen on exporters' access to United States markets? JAMIE ARBUCKLE to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent data has she seen about smoking rates in New Zealand? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? Dr CARLOS CHEUNG to the Minister for Infrastructure: What reports has he seen on New Zealand's Infrastructure Pipeline? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she agree with Nicola Willis in March 2023 that "National will take action to get food prices under control once more"; if so, are food prices now higher or lower than October 2024? MILES ANDERSON to the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality: What recent reports has she seen on cycle trails in New Zealand? SCOTT WILLIS to the Associate Minister for the Environment: How many jobs addressing wilding conifers did Jobs for Nature fund over the course of the programme, and how many roles will be lost when funding is discontinued? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: What actions, if any, were taken to mitigate multiple clinical portals in Central and Te Manawa Taki regions described in Health New Zealand document HNZ00092045, and when were these actions taken? TOM RUTHERFORD to the Associate Minister of Housing: What recent announcement has he made about Rotorua? ORIINI KAIPARA to the Minister of Housing: Does he stand by the Government's proposed changes to the National Policy Statement on Urban Development? TANGI UTIKERE to the Minister of Housing: On what date, if any, did he make a specific request to the Cabinet Office for conflict-of-interest advice relating to the city link bridge funding transfer, separate from his regular six-monthly conflict reviews, and what was that advice?

Doctors in Health New Zealand's emergency departments could soon be saving precious time with the roll out of a helpful AI tool. AI technology Heidi creates a written transcript of doctors' consultations and makes a medical note. Country-wide trials show clinicians could see an extra patient per shift, while bringing down average documentation time from around 17 minutes to just over four per patient. Heidi New Zealand Clinical Director Ben Condon told Mike Hosking the AI not only creates a written transcript, but can also use templates to create medical notes, discharge summaries, and referral letters, among other things. He says doctors will still be responsible for reviewing the notes and letters for accuracy, but time will be saved by having them ready to review in real time. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health New Zealand has stepped up precautions after two confirmed separate outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant super bugs at Christchurch Hospital. It says there are fewer than 10 patients with the infection known as VRE but many are asymptomatic carriers. The bacteria is difficult to treat due to its resistance and in some case can be potentially life threatening. Associate Professor Mark Thomas, an infectious diseases researcher at the University of Auckland, spoke to Lisa Owen.

Just over 18,000 New Zealanders have been prescribed the weight-loss drug Wegovy in the past three months, according to provisional data from Health New Zealand. Weight loss specialist, Doctor Gerard McQuinlan spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A Wellington principal says she was following Health New Zealand advice when she gave the green light to a prize-giving ceremony now at the centre of a measles contact-tracing operation. Julia Davidson of Wellington Girls College spoke to Corin Dann.

Official modelling shows up to 150 people a week could be infected by measles if an outbreak takes hold. Health New Zealand says it can cope with 100 cases a week, but even that would stretch services. The Modelling by PHF Science - formerly ESR - estimated the most likely scenario would see cases peaking at around 100 a week, the same as in 2019. public health expert Dr Oz Mansoor.

Health New Zealand says the outbreak has not yet reached the point where babies under the age of one need to be immunised early. Ruth Hill reports.

Students at two Wellington schools are stuck at home as Health New Zealand checks each student's vaccination records one by one. Professor Michael Baker spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

New Zealanders are being warned to make sure they're immunised against measles if they're travelling off shore with active outbreaks in a number of countries and a rising number of cases here. Four local measles cases have been connected to the Bluebridge ferry sailing from Picton to Wellington on October the third. Health authorities have contacted about 350 passengers from the sailing to give them health advice. Cases have been identified in Northland, Auckland, Manawatu and Nelson. Health New Zealand public health medicine specialist Dr Matthew Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Health officials are urging the public to remain vigilant for measles symptoms ahead of the long weekend, with two further cases confirmed on Thursday. Health New Zealand's Public Health Medicine Specialist Dr Sharon Sime spoke to Corin Dann.

Health officials say there's an escalated national risk of measles, after three new cases were detected in different parts of the country. Health New Zealand's Public Health Medicine Specialist Dr Sharon Sime spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.