Blog

Te Rerenga: June 2025 edition – Supporting people

Welcome to the June 2025 edition of Te Rerenga! This issue highlights how the Workforce Development Fund is backing local kaimahi to lead from within, including the cover story about a counsellor who is helping strengthen the mental health workforce across the Bay. We also look at how new roles in general practice are improving … Read more

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Smokefree May: Community Action Across the Western Bay

WBOP PHO took part in a wide range of activities during Smokefree May, working with partners and providers to encourage and support smokefree journeys across our region. At Tauranga Hospital, the Western Bay of Plenty Smokefree Coalition hosted a month-long display in the main corridor. The stall provided information about quitting smoking and the support … Read more

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Navigating change with care and community at heart

Western Bay of Plenty PHO is working closely with Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand to ensure any transitions of practices to other PHOs, including those currently affecting our region, are managed carefully with continuity of care at the core. We recognise that the primary care system is evolving, and support changes that genuinely … Read more

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Tāpiri Mai makes national news following international debut

Matakana Island initiative brings rural health innovation to national spotlight After being showcased on the world stage in Lisbon, Portugal, the Tāpiri Mai project has now received national attention, with a feature on TVNZ’s 1News highlighting the impact of this community-led healthcare model. Reporter Jordyn Rudd travelled to Matakana Island to see firsthand how the … Read more

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Thank you to all nurse and family doctors!

Honouring our nurses and family doctors

In May, we took a moment to celebrate two vital pillars of the health system: our nurses and family doctors, with short video tributes recognising their impact across the rohe. International Nurses Day (12 May) was an opportunity to acknowledge the care, skill, and heart that nurses bring to their work every day. Our video … Read more

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Budget 2025: Primary care funding falls short of rising pressures

Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation (WBOP PHO) joins general practice New Zealand (GPNZ) in raising concern about the lack of real investment in primary care in Budget 2025. Despite ongoing calls from the sector, there is no meaningful uplift to address historic underfunding or support long-term sustainability. While the announcement stated a 7.4 … Read more

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Tāpiri Mai showcased at global health conference

Last week, the Tāpiri Mai project took the stage at the International Conference on Integrated Care (ICIC25) in Lisbon, Portugal. The event gathered global leaders in health innovation and provided a platform to share and learn from integrated care models worldwide. Kiri Peita, Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation (WBOP PHO) General Manager: Māori, … Read more

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How WBOP PHO Funding Supports Community Care 

Clarifying how flexi-funding and service contracts are used to support general practice, outreach, and equity-focused care. Recent public statements have suggested that Western Bay of Plenty PHO retains too much flexible funding and that these funds are not reaching frontline care. We want to share the details on how this funding works and how it … Read more

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Statement from WBOP PHO: It’s About Patients, Not PHOs

The recent media focus on PHO transitions in the Bay of Plenty risks missing the deeper issue at stake. This is not a dispute between PHOs, but a structural shift that appears to be driven by large corporates seeking to reshape the system in ways that serve their business models, not necessarily patient care. WBOP … Read more

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PHO shift raises concerns for 46,000 patients in the Bay

WBOP PHO leaders voice questions about timing, transparency, and community impact A planned move by several local general practices to switch Primary Health Organisation (PHO) affiliation has sparked concern for more than 46,000 people in the Bay of Plenty. Leaders at the Western Bay of Plenty PHO (WBOP PHO) say the move raises urgent questions … Read more

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