Back to Blog

28 Jul is World Hepatitis Day - get a Hep C test!

Hepatitis C is an infection of the liver caused by the Hepatitis C virus. It's estimated that more than 6,000 NZers may currently be living with Hepatitis C without knowing it! While there are common symptoms associated with Hepatitis C, these may not appear for many years after you've been exposed to the Hepatitis C virus. Meanwhile, the infection may still be doing damage to your liver. What are the symptoms?Tiredness, nausea, abdominal discomfort, and yellowing skin and eyes are the most...

Affected by the oestradiol patch (Estradot) shortage? Give Pharmac your feedback on a proposal to fund oestradiol gel!

The current Estradot/estradiol patch shortage is expected to continue through to 2025. However, Pharmac is looking into funding Estrogel, an oestradiol gel product. They are considering having Estrogel supplied by Pharmaco from 1 November 2024. Click here to read more about Estrogel and the proposal.And click here to complete and submit Pharmac's online feedback form on the proposal.Who does this apply to?Pharmac are seeking feedback from anyone who is currently using medications conta...

The flu: know the symptoms & when to seek help

While some people are more at risk of severe illness from the flu than others - such as pregnant people, older people, people with long-term health conditions, and very young children - anyone can be at risk of developing life-threatening complications from the flu. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that anywhere from 290,000 to 650,000 people die around the world every year from flu-related illness. The best protection against catching the flu, or developing serious f...

Flu vaccine update / reminder to book in for your flu vaccine!

We're still taking bookings for flu vaccines and it's still a good time to get yours if you haven't already! If you're coming in to see a GP or nurse anyway, you can ask them to also administer your flu vaccine during your appointment. The flu vaccine can be given at the same time as any other vaccines.Otherwise, give our reception a call on 04 472 4266 to book a nurse appointment for your flu vaccination. We're sending out reminders to as many people who are eligible for the funded fl...

Ngā mihi nui to our patients for your patience

Ngā mihi nui - we want to extend a huge thank to our patients for your understanding these past weeks, especially to those of you who have had appointments rescheduled.When it rains it pours! With a GP and practice nurse already away on scheduled leave, our staffing was shortened further by Dr Brenda Gibson's accident and by our Nurse Practitioner Intern needing to take sudden leave.We are almost back to our usual staffing levels now, except:our practice nurse Sian remains on leave until early&...

Intersex, ira tangata, or have a variation of sex characteristics AND aged between 16-30 years? You can help Intersex Aotearoa with their intersex resource!

Check out Intersex Aotearoa's flyer below. ...

FAQs for the Well Portal

We've been getting a few recurring queries regarding Well - the patient portal we moved to in March 2024 - so we've put together this FAQ list to help answer some of your questions. Centrik also provides their own list of FAQs for Well here. Have a read and see if your question is answered! My records haven’t “transferred over” from ManageMyHealthThere is no transferring of records between the portals; your health information is held on our Practice Management System (P...

Free mental health & addiction workshops in Newtown, Tawa, Kāpiti

Emerge Aotearoa are facilitating free mental health and addiction workshops that are run by people with lived experiences of mental health distress and/or addictions. These mental health and addiction workshops are available to anyone aged over 18 years who experience mental health distress and/or addictions (no formal diagnosis needed). The following locations and times are available:Newtown: begins Mon 15 July, 11AM-1.30PM, Newtown Community Centre (corner of Colombo & Rintoul St...

REMINDER: WE CLOSE AT 12PM TODAY (FRI 5 JULY)

Please see our previous post about why we are closing early today and where to go if you need medical care today. ...

Eligibility criteria for funded Shingrix (shingles vaccine) has widened

As of 1st July 2024, funded Shingrix vaccines are available for some immunocompromised people aged 18 years and older. If you are aged 18 years or older and meet any of the following criteria, you can receive two doses of Shingrix (given 2-6 months apart) for free: pre- and post- haematopoietic stem cell transplant or cellular therapypre- or post- solid organ transplanthaematological malignanciesliving with poorly controlled HIV infectionplanned or receiving disease modifying anti-rheu...

We're closed on Fri 28 Jun for Matariki - but Practice Plus is available

The Terrace Medical Centre will be closed on Rāmere te 28 o Pipiri / Friday 28th June for Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki (Matariki Observance Day)._____________________________________After Hours Care Take a look at our After Hours page for information on where you can access medical care outside of our hours. If your concern is not an emergency, and you don't need to see a clinician in person, then Practice Plus is available: same-day virtual appointments...

We are closing at 12PM on FRIDAY 5th JULY

Due to unforeseen circumstances and significant staff shortages we will only have one GP working on the morning of Fri 5th July and no GP cover for the afternoon. If you don't already have a GP appointment for the morning, then there will be no capacity to offer GP appointments, prescribe medications, issue medical certificates, or provide any other services requiring GP input on this date. Please ensure all prescription requests are in before midday on Thursday 4th July.&nbs...

Closing early due to short staffing

...

Oestradiol patch supply issues

Unfortunately, Pharmac continues to face supply issues for oestradiol patches and their availability remains limited. The latest update on the supply situation is available here on the Pharmac website. This includes information on availability of various patch strengths and various brands. You may be informed by your pharmacy that they have limited or no stock of oestradiol patches. Supply issues are expected to be ongoing throughout 2024 and into 2025. You may also find that your phar...

Dr Brenda Gibson unexpectedly unavailable this week

Dr Brenda Gibson has had an accident over the weekend and, while she is okay, she is unable to come in to work for at least this week. We apologise to those we have had to reschedule this week and we appreciate your understanding. Please read on for important information about her inboxes, prescription requests, and appointments. Dr Gibson's inboxes We have closed off messages to Dr Gibson on the patient portal as she is unable to answer these. She is also unable to answer her ema...

Appointment availability and winter illnesses

As we come into winter, we're already seeing a rise in respiratory illnesses including COVID-19, the flu, and the common cold. Whooping cough has also recently been on the rise in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. We ask that you please be aware of the following:We are very short on appointments for certain doctors - if you have a preference for seeing your regular GP rather than one of our other doctors, then you may need to wait 3 weeks or longer for your appointment. Dr Brenda Gibson in pa...

We're closed on Mon 3 Jun for King's Birthday - but Practice Plus is available

The Terrace Medical Centre is closed on Rāhina te 3 o Pipiri / Monday 3 June for King's Birthday.Take a look at our After Hours page for information on where you can access medical care outside of our hours. If your concern is not an emergency, and you don't need to see a clinician in person, then Practice Plus is available: same-day virtual appointments are available with NZ-based clinicians from the comfort of your own home between 8AM to 8PM on King's ...

Ministry of Health funding for COVID-19 appointments ending 30 June

At the moment, if you test positive for COVID-19 and you are eligible for the antiviral medication, then your GP consultation to discuss this is fully funded by the Ministry of Health. This is the only funding still left in place for appointments related to COVID-19. Unfortunately, this funding will be coming to an end after 30 June 2024. From Mon 1 July any GP appointments for those with COVID-19 who are eligible for the antivirals will not be funded by the Ministry of Health, and our stan...

Public Health Alert: Pertussis/Whooping Cough

13 cases of whooping cough (pertussis) have been notified so far since the beginning of May in Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui/Greater Wellington. ~What is whooping cough? Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a very infectious illness that can cause severe bouts of coughing and breathing troubles. It is sometimes called the "100 day cough" because it can last up to 3 months. You can pass whooping cough on to others before you even know you've got it. Pēpi (babies), tamariki (children), and the ...

New RSV vaccine available for 60+ year olds

Arexvy is available for people aged 60 years and older only Arexvy is not funded for anybodyThe current price for it here is $423.50 total ($379.00 for the vaccine + $44.50 for the nurse appointment/injection fee)The vaccine must be paid for on the day of your appointment Only 1 dose is needed currentlyYou can visit Healthify for more information on RSV and for more information on the Arexvy vaccine, including information on vaccine safety and who Arexvy is recommended for. You can als...

Update: Can't view your health records on the new portal yet?

Please see our post from April for information on this issue. In a recent update from Centrik, they reported that Medtech (our Practice Management System provider) have now identified the root cause of the problem but have not been able to provide an estimated time for the fix yet. Hopefully it won't be too much longer. We appreciate your patience in the meantime. ...

Changes to fees for nurse telehealth

In October 2023 we introduced nurse telehealth fees for the first time, following a long history of having a nurse available for 8 hours per day to take and return calls and provide clinical advice free of charge.  However, we soon found that our initial policy for when fees would apply to nurse calls was too ambiguous both for nurses and for patients, making it difficult to be consistent in charging.It is still not sustainable for us to continue providing free nurse telehealth - espec...

We're closed on ANZAC Day - but Practice Plus is available

The Terrace Medical Centre is closed on Thursday 25 April for ANZAC Day.Take a look at our After Hours page for information on where you can access medical care outside of our hours. If your concern is not an emergency, and you don't need to see a clinician in person, then Practice Plus is a great option: same-day virtual appointments are available with NZ-based clinicians from the comfort of your own home. Practice Plus is available 8AM to 8PM on ANZAC Day. ...

Opportunities for seniors with Age Concern - Wellington Region

Age Concern | He Manaakitanga Kaumātua Aotearoa provide a wide range of services to benefit seniors, including: Staying Safe Class for Older Drivers: free classroom-based refresher workshops for senior road users Steady As You Go exercise classes: classes designed to prevent falls by improving strength and balance Visitor Service: weekly visits from volunteers for over 65s for companionship Companion Walking: walks with volunteers who can accompany you around ...

Can't view your health records on the new portal yet?

We're sorry to report that unfortunately some of you who have registered for our new patient portal may not be able to view your health records through it yet, and we apologise for the inconvenience caused by this. It's not actually an issue with the portal causing this, but rather an issue with the way certain records were affected by the changeover of our Practice Management System (PMS) in November of last year. We can still access and view these records just fine on our PMS, but in some...