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.
19 November 2025 - Charging patients under 14 years of age
According to Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand, Tamariki (children) aged 13 and under are eligible for free doctor visits at general practices. However, it is always best to check with your specific practice to confirm eligibility.
What’s Covered for Children Under 14?
· GP and Nurse Visits: Free daytime consultations at enrolled general practices.
· After-Hours Visits: Free consultations at designated ‘zero-fee’ after-hours clinics.
· ACC Visits: Free injury-related visits covered by ACC.
· Prescriptions: Some standard prescriptions may also be free.
After-Hours Care
Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand ensures that Tamariki under 14 have access to free after-hours care. These services are for urgent visits when the child’s regular practice is closed, and they need to be seen before it reopens.
ACC Consultations
Most general practices offer free injury-related consultations for children aged 13 and under.
Prescription Charges
Most people will pay a standard $5 prescription co-payment per medicine. However, prescriptions are free for:
· Tamariki aged 13 and under
· Seniors aged 65 and over
· Community Services Card holders and their dependents
Prescriptions from private specialists or non-publicly funded providers (e.g., dentists) have the following co-payments:
· $15 for adults and seniors
· $10 for children aged 14–17
· No charge for tamariki aged 13 and under
Fees for non-Pharmac-funded medicines remain unchanged.
Free Prescriptions from After-Hours Pharmacies
After-hours pharmacies will dispense fully funded prescriptions free of charge for tamariki aged 13 and under. Te Whatu Ora ensures that at least 95% of enrolled children can access this service within a reasonable travel time (up to 1 hour). Availability may vary depending on the number of pharmacies in the area.
When Charges May Apply
A fee may be charged in the following situations:
· If a patient visits a different general practice during the day instead of their usual GP
· For extended consultations (longer than a standard consult)
· For medical procedures
· For additional services, (outside of general consult), such as certificates, equipment, or liquid nitrogen.
Links to further information
Zero fees for tamariki under 14
Free health checks for children under 14
5 November, 2025 - pre 2011 Patient Enrolment Forms
Te Whatu Ora requires all patients enrolled using pre-2011 enrolment forms to complete a new enrolment form. This is due to mandatory declarations that are missing on the older forms, which no longer meet current enrolment standards.
Printable pdf here - this PDF includes demonstration images for PMS'.
22 October, 2025 - Patient re-enrolment via auditable contact
Patients with a current enrolment can be re-enrolled with your practice through auditable contact.
This may be an effective process for reconnecting with patients who haven’t been seen in the past three years.
Printable pdf here - this PDF includes demonstration images for PMS'.
9 October, 2025 - Patients who go to prison
When enrolled patients go to prison for more than 3 months, you must end their funding for capitation while still keeping them registered within your practice. You can leave the patient as registered in your PMS and end their enrolment in NES. This means that you will no longer receive capitation for this patient until you re-enrol them once they are released from prison.
Printable pdf here - this PDF includes demonstration images for PMS'.
24 September 2025 - Who can claim funded maternity care within New Zealand?
Maternity claiming and eligibility
New Zealand citizens and permanent residents are entitled to free pregnancy care unless they choose a private obstetrician or private sonographer. Non-citizens or non-permanent residents may also be eligible for free or subsidised maternity care under specific conditions.
Printable pdf here.
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.
Printable pdf here.
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.