Karen's Key Tips and Practice Tricks
If you have any feedback, ideas for tips or need assistance contact Karen at Karen.Bolch@wellsouth.org.nz.
10 September 2025 - Hardship Fund
This programme provides limited funding to support enrolled and unenrolled patients facing financial hardship and in clinical need to access primary care that they otherwise couldn't afford. Practices/providers have the discretion to allocate this funding as they see fit, subject to these conditions.
Eligibility:
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Patient has financial barriers that are preventing access to primary healthcare AND
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has clinical need AND
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is eligible for New Zealand-funded healthcare
Exclusions
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For existing debt
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For secondary or dental care
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For any patient residing permanently in an aged residential care (ARC) facility
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If other government funding streams are available
Examples how the Hardship Fund has been utilised so far:
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Cervical screening not funded
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Multiple visits in a short time
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Patient didn't qualify for iron infusion funding
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INR patient required several checks within a 1-week period
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Extended consult could not afford the double consult fee
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Could not afford consult and tests including ECG required for pre-op
Join us for chat about the Hardship Fund and how it can work for your practice.
WellSouth is hosting two one-hour drop-in sessions to give practices the opportunity to discuss:
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how practices utilize the fund
- learn more ways it can be utilized
- ask any questions relating to the fund
Links for these sessions:
16 September 10:30am-11:30am
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 485 873 817 955 2
Passcode: 6yx6to6G
18 September 12pm-1pm
Join the meeting now:
Meeting ID: 466 315 940 164 7
Passcode: 9bF7k6Zs
NB: if you have any queries regarding the Hardship Fund, you can contact your Practice Relationship Manager.
Click here for printable pdf.
27 August 2025 - managing newborn enrolments in primary care
When newborns are enrolled with a general practice at birth, health professionals gain more opportunities to give childhood immunisations on time and maximise the child’s health as they grow.
Printable pdf here
13 August 2025 - eReferral form for Vietnam War veterans
HealthLink and Veterans' Affairs New Zealand are pleased to introduce a new eReferral form that makes it easier and faster for you to complete the Annual Medical Assessment (AMA) for Vietnam veterans. This fully funded assessment helps monitor and support the long-term health of veterans exposed to service-related risks.
Printable pdf here
31 July 2025 - Checking the status of CSC & HUHC for patients within Medtech and Indici
When patients have a Community Services Card (CSC) or High Use Health Card (HUHC), it can affect their funding and costs within a practice.
Printable pdf here Scroll to page 2 for Indici codes and summary info.
16 July 2025 - Drivers licence medical update
Registered Nurses can complete the drivers medical for enrolled patients in full, freeing up valuable GP time.
Resource Link
Printable pdf here.
3 July 2025 - Patient records when a patient transfers to a new practice
The practice newly enrolling the patient is obliged to accept the paper notes along with the electronic records, if the patient has consented to the transfer of records.
Resource Link
Printable pdf here.
18 June 2025 - General Medical Services (GMS) explained
GMS are subsidies paid to general practices under the Section 88 notice to help reduce patient fees for children and subsidy card holders for standard consults.
Resource Link
General Medical Services claim
Printable pdf here.
4 June 2025 - Retention of patient records and confidentiality
Patient health information is highly confidential and must always be handled with care, even after a patient has left the medical centre or is deceased.
Printable pdf here with links to further information.