What does WellSouth do?

PHOs are unique to Aotearoa New Zealand. They are responsible for ensuring primary healthcare – general practice, pharmacy, other providers – is meeting the needs of the people in their community.

Each PHO is slightly different. Common to all PHOs is to pass through ‘capitation’ funding from the government to provide subsidised care for New Zealanders or residents of New Zealand at primary care.

The capitation payment model in Aotearoa New Zealand sets a fixed amount per patient, channelled via a PHO. In our geographical catchment, there are around 335,200 people enrolled at a general practice.

Many PHOs, like WellSouth, are not for profit. For us, it goes beyond passing government funding for enrolled patients. Here at WellSouth, we make Te Tiriti and equity driven decision-making for more equitable outcomes, which defines the way we operate, recruit and deliver our services and programmes.

We customise our programmes, training, research and data provision to empower and support general practice and other primary care providers to deliver sustainable, accessible, equitable quality care to the enrolled as well as unenrolled.

We want to give people the right care at the right time and place.

We also have contracts and provide health services directly to individuals covering mental health and wellbeing, long-term conditions, healthy eating and living as well as falls prevention. In addition, partner with and support other providers to reach all our community.

• This offers a good history of PHOs including how the funding model works, as does this article about 

• Click here to better understand how capitation works, here to understand why practices charge differently and here to see the government cost breakdown.

• Check out this opinion piece from GPNZ's Bryan Betty about PHOs.