| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Kia ora tātou
It was only three weeks ago I wrote about our inspirational conference which shone a light on rural health in Aotearoa New Zealand, with a particular focus on Mātauranga Māori. With almost 1000 attendees from around the globe, this conference was unlike any other, particularly in terms of the conversations, connections and legacy that have come from it. Since then, we have continued to focus on that legacy with the completion of the Aotearoa New Zealand Declaration following further input and feedback from many of you through the conference. There are two parts to the Declaration. The first is specific to New Zealand and lists 23 actions which we believe would contribute to better healthcare for rural New Zealanders through a variety of mechanisms. Many of these actions focus on workforce and funding, which completely underpin the sustainability of any health service. The second part of the legacy is the international component, written by Dr Pratyush Kumar, Chair of the Working Party on Rural Practice. Prior to the conference he launched GRACE (Global Rural Health Action, Collaboration and Excellence), which is a key initiative supporting this work, and Rural WONCA will be taking this forward. It was encouraging to see such strong alignment between the challenges faced by rural communities internationally and those we see here in Aotearoa. We used the first part of the Declaration to guide our calls to action at RuralFest, which was held last week. This was the 10th year of this annual event, primarily led by our Rural Communities Chapter, where we go to the Beehive to find out what the various parties intend to do for rural health. Obviously this felt particularly crucial with the Budget coming out this week and the election coming up later in the year. We condensed the 23 actions from the Declaration down into 12 key priorities and then throughout the day had a widespread presentation of each of these points by our members who attended. They were only given two minutes to speak to the topic, so presentations needed to be concise, speedy and very targeted in their calls to action - the rural health advocacy version of speed dating! In the morning coalition parties were invited to attend and Minister Simeon Brown joined us, which was appreciated, especially as he had missed Rural WONCA 2026. In the afternoon, the opposition parties came, in this case primarily party members Ayesha Verrall for Labour and Scott Willis for the Greens. Our targeted approach to presenting the issues and the solutions gave a very unified call to action which we certainly hope will see these politicians respond to appropriately. Some of the actions are relatively straightforward and would require changes such as funding boosts, reporting adjustments, or improvements to contracting processes. Others are more strategic and will require a long-term focus and should be cross party initiatives. What continues to stand out to me is the strength of our collective rural voice. The conference, the Declaration and RuralFest have all reinforced that rural communities know what is needed, and that solutions already exist when people are willing to listen and work together. We will continue to report back to you on the progress made around these actions. Rural communities are depending on meaningful change, and we will continue advocating strongly to help make that happen.
Ngā mihi Fiona | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Aotearoa New Zealand Declaration on Rural Health 2026 | | | | Rural health leaders are calling for urgent and coordinated action to address what they describe as serious, measurable, and preventable inequities facing rural communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Released following the 21st WONCA World Rural Health Conference at Tākina Wellington, the Aotearoa New Zealand Declaration on Rural Health 2026 sets out a national framework for improving rural health outcomes and strengthening rural healthcare systems.
The Declaration warns that rural communities – and particularly rural Māori – continue to face compounding inequities driven by rurality, deprivation, and the enduring impacts of colonisation. It states that decades of health policy and funding decisions made without meaningful rural engagement have widened the gap between policy intent and the realities of rural life.
Hauora Taiwhenua Chairperson Dr Fiona Bolden said rural communities have been raising the same concerns for years, but action has not kept pace.
“Rural communities know what works, but for too long decisions have been made without rural voices at the table,” stated Dr Bolden.
“The inequities facing rural communities are not inevitable – they are preventable. This Declaration sets out what needs to happen next.”
The six priority areas for action are: - Promoting equitable rural healthcare.
- Expanding rural health knowledge and research.
- Strengthening rural workforce funding, recruitment, training, and retention.
- Supporting innovation and effective rural healthcare practices.
- Harnessing artificial intelligence and virtual technology to improve access to care.
- Strengthening rural generalist practice across health professions.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Health, Hon Simeon Brown, the Associate Minister for Health, Hon Matt Doocey, endorsed the strategic direction set out in the calls to action of the Aotearoa New Zealand Declaration. He added that he was heartened to see how closely these align to the work that the Government currently has underway.
The Declaration also calls for policies informed by Mātauranga Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, recognising that rural Māori continue to experience some of the greatest inequities within the health system.
Hauora Taiwhenua Chief Executive Dr Grant Davidson said one of the strongest messages from Rural WONCA was the need for “rural proofing” across all health policy and funding decisions.
“Too often policies are designed for urban systems and adapted later for rural communities,” said Dr Davidson.
“Rural proofing means asking from the start: how will this work for rural people, rural services, and rural health workers?”
Chairperson of the WONCA Working Party on Rural Practice, Dr Pratyush Kumar, said the challenges facing rural communities are similarly being felt internationally.
“To weave a stronger global safety net, our response must move beyond shared declarations into unified structural support. The Declaration calls on governments to invest in and scale solutions already being developed within rural communities, rather than continuing to impose urban-designed systems onto rural setting” he said.
Hauora Taiwhenua says the Declaration is intended to serve as a practical national roadmap for improving healthcare access and outcomes for rural New Zealanders. | | | | | | | | Hauora Taiwhenua’s RuralFest drives call for rural health reform | | | | Firstly, our congratulations to the Rural Communities Chapter in celebrating the 10th year of RuralFest! This “working day” at parliament continues to hit the mark providing a platform for rigorous conversations and action. On the 20th of April our rural community leaders presented to members of parliament through a structured day of speeches, Q and A, workshops and networking. A well-timed event with the 2026 Election this year and the parties on the road and in the media sharing their vision for health. Throughout the day members reinforced a consistent message to government: rural communities already deliver complex, high-acuity healthcare every day, yet funding, system design and policy settings continue to treat rural services as smaller versions of urban care. The forum centred on five priority calls to actions identified by Hauora Taiwhenua members from the Aotearoa New Zealand Declaration on Rural Health, developed during and recently launched at our 21st WONCA World Rual Health Conference. All Ministers received the Declaration prior to the RuralFest and were encouraged to consider and respond to the document in their speeches. The five priority calls are: - Sustainable Rural Hospital Funding
- Rural Generalist Framework
- Rurally Relevant Funding
- Rural Health Workforce
- Rural Training Hubs
Item 2, the call for the acknowledgement of “rural generalism” was a top topic. From a rural community point of view, it already exists and works. Examples of this were shared by rural GPs and rural health Executives with this evidence presenting a unified national voice grounded in frontline experience and practical solutions. In response to the call for acknowledgment of “rural generalism” Minister of Health Hon Simeon Brown acknowledged strong support for rural generalism and said there was “a huge opportunity” to grow the model across regional hospitals and primary care. “We do need to be looking at that rural generalist model,” Brown said. “We are growing a workforce which is able to deliver that care in those communities.” The tone of RuralFest remained strongly solutions-focused throughout the day, with discussions spanning maternity funding, PRIME emergency response systems, Māori health planning, community-led care models, rural research, and emergency preparedness. Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson acknowledged both the pressure on services and the strength of rural leadership. “Healthcare is the service under the most pressure,” Patterson said. “But what also comes through is the passion and determination of the people delivering it.” He noted that rural health leaders had been clear about both the challenges and the solutions required. Gill Genet, Deputy Chair of the Rural Communities Chapter, in her opening speech, mirrored this and reminded attendees of the scale and importance of rural Aotearoa. “Rural is the second largest city in New Zealand,” she said. “It is almost 20 percent of New Zealand’s population, the economic powerhouse, the tourism powerhouse - yet rural health and wellbeing still has a massive inequity and access issue.” Asked about fair funding (Item 1), Brown confirmed that the Government expects rurality to be included in updated capitation negotiations. “The government’s been clear that we expect rurality to be one of the factors which will be part of the reweighted capitation implemented this year,” he said. He also confirmed Cabinet had agreed that capitation funding models should be reviewed regularly, rather than remaining unchanged for extended periods. Karl Metzler, Chief Executive of Gore Health, outlined longstanding disparities between community-owned rural hospitals and Health New Zealand-operated facilities delivering comparable services giving evidence of what happens on the ground. “Gore Health receives roughly $12 million per annum in base funding,” he said. “A comparable hospital receives roughly $25 million. We provide mirror-image services… but we are trying to recruit and retain staff on a completely uneven playing field.” Dr Robin Baird, Chair of the Rural General Practice Chapter, called for rural weighting to be formally incorporated into capitation funding models, recognising that rural practices manage both planned and unplanned care without the ability to redirect demand elsewhere. He went on to describe rural services as “cold buildings and warm bodies” that communities depend on daily. “All over rural New Zealand today, people went in and opened up cold buildings and turned on the lights and the heating,” he said. “We need to keep the lights on in rural New Zealand - the buildings and the people inside them.” Speakers emphasised that rural providers must sustain facilities, workforce capability, emergency response capacity, and after-hours care with significantly smaller funding bases than urban counterparts. Rural healthcare is different - and needs different solutions. One of the clearest messages from RuralFest was that rural healthcare cannot be treated as a scaled-down version of urban care. Dr Rebekah Doran, Clinical Director of Hauora Taiwhenua and a rural GP, said rural clinicians routinely work across urgent care, chronic disease management, after-hours care, and hospital-level medicine - often as the sole responder in high-risk situations. “Rural GPs are not just urban GPs placed in rural towns,” she said. To illustrate the realities of rural medicine, Doran described responding alone to a critically unwell patient in a remote setting without immediate backup. “You don’t know whether you’re dealing with a heart attack or anaphylaxis - and there’s no one else coming,” she said. “That level of clinical risk is routine in rural settings, and it’s why training and support need to be designed differently.” Her call to action was clear: rural training, staffing and support systems must reflect the level of clinical risk and complexity routinely managed in rural settings. Dr Jane George, Co-Chair Rural Scientific, Technical and Allied Health Chapter said New Zealand still lacks accurate national data on rural workforce distribution. “You can’t do workforce planning if you don’t know where your workforce is,” she said. Members called for national workforce data collection to be aligned with the Geographic Classification for Health across all regulated and community-based professions, including Kaiāwhina and Māori health workers. Without this data, long-term workforce planning, training investment and future service design remain constrained. Training hubs were also identified as critical to building sustainable rural workforce pipelines with Dr Rory Miller saying that “newly announced rural health training hubs represent a significant opportunity - but only if supported by long-term planning and investment.” “We know that if people train in rural communities, they’re more likely to stay,” he said. “But without a coherent strategy, a framework and adequate funding, we are worried they won’t succeed in the way we need them to.” Brown acknowledged the need for a coordinated national plan to ensure the hubs deliver measurable workforce outcomes. Further, Tania Kemp, nurse practitioner and director of Aotea Health on Great Barrier Island, described how new rural urgent care technology has improved local care while exposing critical infrastructure gaps. “We’ve got half of a really good package,” she said. “We’re still going around with a USB stick to download images and send them manually.” Kemp said unreliable connectivity limits the effectiveness of rural healthcare innovation and creates additional pressure on already stretched providers. Hauora Taiwhenua Members stressed that telehealth, remote diagnostics, and integrated care systems cannot succeed without reliable digital infrastructure in rural communities. National MP Barbara Kuriger agreed connectivity remained one of rural New Zealand’s biggest challenges. “One size doesn’t fit all,” Kuriger said. “The delivery model for rural healthcare is different.” A clear path forward RuralFest made one thing clear: rural health communities understand the challenges, have identified the solutions, and are ready to work alongside government to deliver change. The next step is sustained action - delivering on the five priorities identified by our members through funding, workforce planning and system design that reflects rural reality. The question now is whether the system will respond. More information on the Aotearoa New Zealand Declaration on Rural Health and ongoing advocacy is available via Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network. | | | | | | Te Rōpū Ārahi Reflections from Rural WONCA 2026 | | As Te Rōpū Ārahi, we took time at our recent hui to reflect on our shared experience of Rural WONCA 2026. What came through strongly was not only how successful the conference was, but how meaningful it felt for all of us involved.
We were proud of how the conference came together. From the organisation through to the delivery, it was clear that a huge collective effort created something that ran smoothly and left a strong impression on those who attended. The positive feedback we have continued to hear reflects just how well it was received.
A defining part of the conference for us was the way tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori were woven throughout. From the pōwhiri to the final moments, the cultural foundation of the conference created a sense of belonging and authenticity. We felt that mana was upheld across all aspects of the event, and that this helped shape a space where people could truly connect.
We also reflected on how the conference created a safe environment for learning. People were able to engage in honest and sometimes challenging conversations, and to do so in a way that felt respectful and supported. For many, this opened the door to new understanding and encouraged reflection on their own practice.
The level of connection across the conference stood out for us as well. There was a strong sense of whakawhanaungatanga, connecting people across Aotearoa and with our international colleagues. Seeing relationships form and grow across cultures was a powerful reminder of the value of coming together in this way.
We were particularly proud of how Indigenous perspectives were shared and received. It was clear that these contributions resonated with many delegates, and that they will influence thinking and practice beyond the conference. There is a real sense that what was shared here will continue to have an impact internationally.
Looking back, the conference was busy and at times demanding, but it was also energising. Coming together again to reflect reminded us of the excitement, the learning, and the connections that made those few days so special.
As Te Rōpū Ārahi, we carry forward a strong sense of pride in what was achieved, and a shared commitment to continue building on the relationships and momentum created through Rural WONCA 2026. | | | | | | Health NZ releases new Rural Generalism programme page | | Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora has published a new page outlining its Rural Generalism programme, including a link to the National Statement on Rural Generalism in Aotearoa.
The page describes rural generalism as a model of care designed to support rural and provincial communities to access a broader range of health services closer to home. It highlights how local health teams can work across urgent, primary, community, and hospital-based care, while maintaining strong connections to specialist support when needed.
Health NZ notes that rural generalism is being developed to better reflect rural realities — including smaller teams, geographic distance, workforce pressures, and the need for more flexible, team-based models of care. The approach also aims to strengthen training pathways, improve service stability, and support more sustainable rural health workforces over time.
Current work includes testing rural generalism models in selected regions such as the West Coast, where integrated generalist teams are supporting care across urgent care, medical services, and women’s and children’s health, alongside increased access to telehealth and specialist support.
The programme also recognises the importance of multidisciplinary teams, including doctors, nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, and community-based roles such as kaiāwhina and peer support workers.
For rural health professionals, this reinforces a growing national focus on models of care that are designed specifically for rural contexts — rather than adapted from urban systems. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Whare Tangata - A Living Artwork from Rural WONCA 2026 | | Many of you will remember the powerful live artwork created across the 21st WONCA World Rural Health Conference (Rural WONCA 2026) in Wellington, Aotearoa.
Titled Whare Tangata, this piece was brought to life by Christchurch-based artist Ellie Compton and Mobile Health Group.
Over three days, rural health professionals from around the world were invited to contribute a word, thought, or sketch reflecting their experiences of rural Hauora.
Each contribution was woven into the final piece. The result is a largescale visual tapestry capturing the collective voice of rural communities: their challenges, their resilience, and the deep sense of connection that binds people and place.
This artwork also carries the mana of Russell Riki, Kaumātua to Board and Chairperson, Dr Fiona Bolden at Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network, who gifted its name during the conference’s closing ceremony. His contribution acknowledges the wairua, the stories, and the collective voice embedded within the piece.
Every thread connected. Every story honoured.
This is a special opportunity to own a piece of the conference - and a lasting reminder of the connections, conversations, and shared purpose that made Rural WONCA 2026 so memorable.
About the Artist Ellie Compton, maker of chaos, is a Christchurch-based artist known for her intricate, story-rich illustrations. Her work includes custom art, murals, and commercial work, making your story impossible to ignore. | |
About the Artist Ellie Compton, maker of chaos, is a Christchurch-based artist known for her intricate, story-rich illustrations. Her work includes custom art, murals, and commercial work, making your story impossible to ignore. | | | | | | | | | | | | NZMedJobs & NZLocums on the Road This June | | | | Luke Baddington GM Workforce Recruitment | |
June is shaping up to be a busy month for the NZMedJobs & NZLocums team, with several key conferences and events on the calendar both here in Aotearoa and overseas. Luke and Jo will be heading to Rotorua for the General Practice Conference & Medical Exhibition (GPCME North) from 11–14 June. GPCME is one of New Zealand’s largest primary care conferences, bringing together GPs, nurses, practice managers, and wider primary care teams for practical learning and networking opportunities. If you’re attending, please come and say hello — we’d love to catch up and chat about how we can support your workforce and recruitment needs. Later in the month, David and Debra will be attending the Nurse Practitioner New Zealand Conference (NPNZ) in Queenstown from 17–19 June. The conference is the largest Nurse Practitioner-focused event in Aotearoa and is always a fantastic opportunity to connect with NPs and others passionate about innovative models of care and strengthening the health workforce. If you’re there, make sure you stop by for a kōrero. To round out the month, Grant and Amanda will be jet-setting off to Paris for the 30th WONCA Europe Conference from 30 June–3 July. WONCA is a major international conference for family doctors and primary care professionals, attracting delegates from across the globe to share ideas, research, and innovations in primary healthcare. We are excited to continue building international connections and showcasing the rewarding health career opportunities available across rural communities throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
To learn more, email enquiries@nzlocums.com, or call 04 472 3901. | | | | | | | | | | Closing Rural Gaps in Specialist Care Through Telehealth | | Access to specialist advice is a persistent challenge for many rural communities across Aotearoa, particularly where services sit outside traditional health settings. While this is often discussed in relation to human health services, similar equity issues exist across the wider rural system — including access to specialist veterinary care that supports rural livelihoods, wellbeing, and community resilience.
Avian Empire founders Sam Hurley and Jemma McLean are using telehealth to help address this gap, providing specialist avian support to rural and remote communities where access to expertise is often limited or delayed.
Their service focuses on birds commonly kept in rural and semi-rural settings, including backyard poultry, pet chickens, ducks, and other companion or avicultural species. For many rural owners, accessing specialist avian veterinary advice can involve long travel distances, added stress for animals, and delays in receiving timely guidance — particularly where local veterinary services may not have specialist avian expertise.
“Many rural bird owners are doing their best with limited access to specialist advice,” says Jemma McLean. “Telehealth allows us to provide earlier support, help people make informed decisions, and stay connected throughout a case rather than seeing it as a one-off interaction.”
The service was developed in response to both geographic barriers and the reality that specialist avian knowledge is not evenly distributed across the veterinary workforce. This reflects a wider rural health systems issue that Hauora Taiwhenua continues to highlight across sectors — the challenge of equitable access to specialist expertise outside urban centres.
Rural communities are often highly adaptive, developing practical solutions where traditional service models do not fit local realities. Telehealth is increasingly part of this landscape, enabling more flexible access to specialist input and supporting continuity of care across distance and time.
While delivered in a veterinary context, the model mirrors familiar rural health workforce challenges: limited access to specialists, the need for timely decision-making, and the importance of supporting local practitioners and communities with the right expertise at the right time. It also highlights the value of collaboration between local providers, specialist practitioners, and communities in improving outcomes.
One example is Griffin, a chicken whose owner struggled to access appropriate advice through conventional pathways. Through telehealth-supported consultations, Griffin’s care was managed over an extended period with ongoing reassessment, practical guidance, and continuity of support. Over time, Griffin made a full recovery. This case illustrates the value of sustained access to specialist input where local expertise may be limited.
The approach is intentionally practical, using accessible tools such as phone and video consultations, image-based assessment, and digital follow-up. This reflects a broader principle seen across rural health innovation — that effective solutions are often those that are simple, adaptable, and designed around real-world rural conditions.
From a Rural Communities Aotearoa perspective, services like this reinforce a wider message: rural equity is not limited to human health alone. It is about the systems, services, and supports that underpin rural life and wellbeing, and how access to expertise — whether medical, allied health, or veterinary — shapes the resilience of rural communities.
Looking ahead, Avian Empire aims to strengthen access to specialist avian expertise while contributing to education, biosecurity awareness, and improved collaboration between veterinary professionals and communities. As telehealth continues to evolve across sectors, clear frameworks will be important to ensure safe, effective, and equitable delivery of care.
For Hauora Taiwhenua and its Rural Communities chapter, this example sits within a broader conversation about rural access, workforce distribution, and the importance of innovative, community-responsive solutions that strengthen wellbeing across rural Aotearoa. | | | | | | | | Member Spotlight: Adam Richardson, New Individual Membership | |
My name is Adam and I'm a Dentist! I grew up in Napier, but most of my whānau live in Gisborne. I'm currently working as a House Surgeon with the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery team at Middlemore Hospital. Growing up on the East Coast, rural health has never felt abstract to me, then at University I learnt about the harsh reality of rural health in New Zealand. I volunteered with Hauora Taiwhenua as a student travelling to rural high schools to talk about dentistry and encourage students from those communities to consider health careers. Becoming a member of Hauora Taiwhenua now feels like a natural continuation of that journey - and a commitment to the communities I hope to serve long-term.
As a relatively new member of the workforce, and currently working in one of the major urban centres, I don't personally see rural health issues daily. I often read about access to dental care for rural kiwis, and the wait times to see specialists. Wairoa went 2 years without a dentist! Stories like that stick with you. There aren't enough specialists willing to work in those areas, and that's a gap I want to help fill. I'm currently building the surgical skills and experience that I hope will eventually allow me to specialise and move back to the East Coast.
During dental school I volunteered with the Network visiting some rural high schools to talk about dentistry as a career. It was a small thing, but if even one student from a rural background was nudged toward a health career because of those visits, that feels worthwhile. Funnily enough I actually convinced one of the medical students on the volunteer trip to switch to studying dentistry!
Anything unexpected about my work? It's not unexpected, but oral surgery is awesome! I'd love to connect with anyone working rurally in oral health or oral surgery - I'm keen to learn from those who've already walked this path.
| | | | | | MFAS: This Is Why We Do What We Do | | | | “The MFAS team has been absolutely outstanding. They helped me get a clear understanding of my financial situation after moving to New Zealand and supported me in setting up a strong foundation for the future. I'm so grateful for their personable approach and genuine care. It's clear they always have my best interests at heart. They're a wonderful team: helpful, kind and refreshingly practical in their advice (plus they've got a sense of humour!). I couldn't recommend them more highly. My experience with hem has, and continues to be, exceptional.” At Medical Financial Advisory Services (MFAS), feedback like this reflects the purpose behind our work: providing clear, practical financial guidance that helps health professionals feel confident about their future. Moving to a new country — or stepping into a demanding health career — comes with significant change. For many rural health professionals, this can also mean navigating new roles, new communities, and new financial systems while working in environments where time, access, and support are often stretched.
Having trusted advisers who understand the health sector can make a meaningful difference. It can reduce stress, provide clarity, and support long-term planning during some of the most important transition points in a clinician’s career.
For more than 12 years, we have proudly supported New Zealand’s rural health community. Over that time, trust has been earned not through words alone, but by consistently being there for our clients when they need us most. Our ongoing partnership with Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the wellbeing and resilience of rural health professionals, through relationships built on trust, understanding, and shared values.
Our approach is built on long-term relationships, not transactions. Over time, we have supported health professionals with financial planning, investment advice, insurance structuring, and mortgage guidance tailored to their individual circumstances and career pathways.
We were also proud to partner with Hauora Taiwhenua at the recent WONCA World Rural Health Conference 2026, where it was a pleasure to reconnect with existing clients and meet many new rural health professionals beginning their own journeys in Aotearoa. These conversations continue to reinforce the importance of holistic support for the rural health workforce — including financial wellbeing as a key part of professional sustainability. If you’re looking for down-to-earth, practical advice from people who genuinely care, we’re here and happy to help. He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.
To get in touch with the MFAS team, email: info@mas.co.nz | | | | | | | | Girls’ Flight Out: A Rural Journey for Life-Saving Screening | | | | Access to timely, equitable breast screening remains a significant challenge for many rural and remote communities across Aotearoa. Distance, travel logistics, cost, and competing life demands can all create real barriers to participation in preventative health programmes. | | On behalf of filmmaker Anna Frances Pearson, we are pleased to share the story of Girls’ Flight Out — a documentary that follows one long-running initiative supporting wāhine from the Chatham Islands to access life-saving breast screening in Canterbury. The film offers an important window into both the practical coordination required to deliver equitable screening services, and the lived experience of rural and remote communities navigating access to care.
The story is shared below in Anna’s own words.
Girls’ Flight Out is a 28-minute documentary that celebrates an innovative, Ōtautahi-led breast screening programme that has been running successfully and without fanfare for years, in which wāhine from the remote Chatham Islands make a biennial flight to Canterbury Breastcare for life-saving mammograms. While tackling a serious subject, the film has fun and light-hearted moments too.
| | | | The breast screening programme is organised by ScreenSouth Ltd, a non-profit organisation that administers BreastScreen Aotearoa (the national breast screening programme) for the upper and lower South Island through BreastScreen South and BreastScreen Otago Southland. | | Girls’ Flight Out was an audacious project for me personally; despite my work having previously been screened in film festivals, this project represented a significant leap in scale and impact - putting together a film crew, securing access to medical locations, budgeting, navigating sponsorship, a week's filming on the Chathams. I was very lucky to be mentored by filmmaker Vanessa Wells, who won a top award at Doc Edge last year for her feature-length documentary Mighty Indeed, through the Toi Ōtautahi Incubator Programme run by Christchurch City Council.
I knew Girls’ Flight Out was a good story because whenever I told people about the two-yearly health event, they said ‘Wow!’. I was drawn to the layers the story presented: a journey that is both literal (a flight) and emotional, an interesting two-yearly health event, a unique remote location and wonderful characters. You can’t beat Chatham Islanders for their grit, warmth, humour and honesty. They call a spade a spade. I actually first heard about the “boobie trips” when visiting some friends on the Chathams in 2015 and it had stuck with me. I think the journey can be seen as a bit of a metaphor for self-advocacy when it comes to one's health. We have lots of health screening opportunities available to us as Kiwis, which is fantastic, but it's no use if Kiwis don't use them. Of course there are so many barriers too, which I fully acknowledge. | | | | The ladies from the Chathams make this massive journey every two years, there are a lot of logistics to be arranged - it impacts their jobs, their families and other commitments. But if they can do it, we too need to "get on that plane" and look out for ourselves and others.
Our film crew consisted of myself (director and producer), Ōtautahi-based cinematographer Nick Kowalski (DOP and co-director) and Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland-based Ocean Mead (photographer and producer). Filming commenced in April 2025 and included a week-long mission to the Chathams to capture stories ahead of the women's journey to Ōtautahi. We had such an incredible time and are so grateful to our film participants for sharing their time and stories with us. Air Chathams sponsored our flights, Hotel Chathams was generous with accommodation and also lent us a 4WD to use to get around. It felt like almost everyone we approached for support for this project jumped at the opportunity which really encouraged and motivated us.
Girls’ Flight Out will have its world premiere at Doc Edge, which is New Zealand’s Oscar®-qualifying international documentary festival running, which kicks off on 24 June 2026 (screening details available below.) Our short film will screen as part of the shorts collection Steps of Courage alongside three others: Chicken Ghetto, Hunter’s Moon and Race Be Run. Interestingly, Race Be Run is also about cancer; it follows New Zealand man Jon Nabbs as he dons a Superman costume and runs solo across the breadth of Canada to raise funds for charities after tragically losing both his parents to cancer. | | | | | | Many Hands Make Light Work! | | | | The Lions Cancer Trust Mobile Skin Screening Bus at Warbirds over Wanaka | | Just over a year ago on 29th March 2025, a very special event happened in my home town of Hanmer Springs, South Island, NZ. The Lions Cancer Trust’s, purpose-built skin screening bus had its launch at the Heritage Hotel, surrounded by a group of amazing people who had worked tirelessly for a number of years to make it happen. On the day, there were 24 people screened with a third referred back to their GPs for further investigation, including the Lions Cancer Trust Chair, Paul O’Connor! Where was I? Halfway around the world in Germany, completely oblivious to the moment!
Fast Forward just over 4 months and I was appointed Administrator for the Trust, tasked with writing processes and manuals, developing protocols and ensuring that this amazing piece of equipment was put to good use. Fast forward to now, we have just screened our 1000th person in the rural township of Woodend and have a current referral rate of just over 29%.
When the bus was launched, we knew there would be challenges. One of our biggest ongoing challenges is finding volunteer skin screeners willing and able to give up their time to support events around the country. Rural events in particular come with their own unique problems. Small rural medical centres often have their own staffing problems and persuading already stretched staff to give up a day to volunteer is a big ask. While the need for screening in these communities is undeniable, staffing the bus has often been our most difficult task.
However, despite these challenges, one of the most encouraging parts of this journey has been the incredible commitment shown by the volunteers who ‘have’ joined us. Many of the clinicians who initially came to “give it a go” are now returning for their second and third events, and that growing sense of community and purpose around the programme has been hugely rewarding to witness. | | “I have volunteered at a skin check event (with my next event coming up soon), and I can honestly say it's been a great experience. I was lucky to be surrounded by a fantastic team who kept everything running smoothly and were always there to help with any questions, no matter how random they were. The time flew by so quickly!”
It was such a worthwhile event, making skin checks more accessible to the community. Plus, I walked away feeling helpful and with a new appreciation for people who can stay organised under pressure!
Tanya Tooley Evans – Nurse Dermoscopist – Coast Skin | | Tanya’s 2nd event was as part of the Woodend team that helped us screen our 1,000th participant. The feedback we receive from volunteers consistently reinforces the value of bringing this service directly into rural communities. There is something uniquely powerful about seeing people who may have delayed seeking help finally able to access a full body skin screening close to home. The numbers we collate are significant. They represent people whose skin cancers and melanomas may otherwise have gone unnoticed for much longer. They represent earlier diagnosis, earlier treatment, and potentially life-saving outcomes. The demand for the service has continued to grow, and with that growth comes an exciting next step. Our second Skin Screening Bus is currently in production and will ultimately be based in the North Island. This expansion will allow us to increase our reach into even more communities. For many rural New Zealanders, healthcare access is not simply about availability, it is about distance, time away from work, transport costs, and the reality of living far from specialist services. The Skin Screening Bus was created to help bridge some of those gaps, and over the past year we have seen just how important that mission is.
As the Lions Cancer Trust Administrator, the addition of a 2nd screening bus is both exciting and daunting. Whilst our database of screening volunteers for the South Island starts to gain some momentum, the North Island is virgin territory, but our local Lions organisers are already rising to the challenge of seeking out their communities finest! | | While there is still much work to do, the past 12 months have shown us what is possible when passionate volunteers, supportive communities, and rural healthcare advocates come together with a shared goal. Every event reminds us why this work matters, and every referral reinforces the importance of continuing to take these services directly to the communities that need them most.
Many hands really do make light work. The more screeners we can add to our database, the more we can spread the workload and ensure that we have a screener available within driving distance of every event the bus is invited to! Wouldn’t that be good?!
For more information contact Janet at admin@lionscancertrust.nz | | | | | | Matagouri Rural Health Club Tiki Tour 2026: Inspiring Future Rural Clinicians | | The Matagouri Rural Health Club has returned from its 2026 Tiki Tour across South Otago and Southland—an immersive three-day experience designed to bring rural health education to life for more than 30 medical students from the University of Otago.
From emergency simulation scenarios in Fiordland to hospital and community-based visits across the lower South Island, students were given a rare opportunity to experience the full spectrum of rural healthcare in action.
The programme included hands-on learning in remote trauma response, hypothermia and water rescue scenarios, alongside visits to key rural health services including Southland Hospital, Gore Health, Clutha Health First, and the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust.
The tour followed a simulated patient journey across the rural health system—highlighting how care is delivered seamlessly from remote retrieval through to hospital treatment and community follow-up.
Supported by a wide network of rural clinicians, educators, and organisations including Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network and Mobile Health Group, the experience showcased the collaboration that underpins rural healthcare across Aotearoa.
For many students, the Tiki Tour offered their first in-depth exposure to rural medicine in practice—reinforcing both the clinical diversity and the strong community connections that define rural health careers.
A huge thank you is extended to all clinicians, services, and communities who hosted and supported students throughout the journey. | | | | | | Register for ACC Secondary Care Market Engagement Event | | We wanted to let you know that we’re hosting another Secondary Care Market Engagement Event online on 16 June. At this event, we’ll be sharing some important information about changes to the way secondary care services are delivered, and it would be great if you could share the information below with your members. We hope you’ll join us for our next online market engagement event on secondary care services on 16 June 2026. During this event, we’ll provide an update on our efforts to develop an improved service delivery model for secondary care services and what we’ve heard from the sector as part of the detailed design.
Event details: Tuesday 16 June 2026
12.00pm to 1.00pm This work is the next step in our efforts to strengthen how we commission secondary care services to support better recovery outcomes for injured people and a sustainable Accident Compensation Scheme. It’s an important part of our Turnaround Plan.
One of the key changes we’re proposing is developing a new Musculoskeletal Secondary Care Service, which would replace the current Clinical Services for kiritaki (clients) with musculoskeletal injuries. The new service would strengthen eligibility and referral processes to ensure only those who really need specialist care receive secondary care services.
As part of the design process, we’ve been engaging with the sector at different stages and seeking feedback through short surveys, meetings with suppliers, professional bodies, and the Musculoskeletal Secondary Care Clinical Advisory Group.
During our market engagement event, we’ll share: - more details about the new Musculoskeletal Secondary Care Service
- a summary of the feedback we’ve received from the sector
- what the proposed changes mean for our Clinical Services, Elective Services, and High‑Tech Imaging contracts
- key dates for the upcoming contract tenders
| | | | | | Peer Support Training Grant: Funding still available for the current funding round | | Careerforce is offering a free Peer Support apprenticeship programme specifically designed for individuals who are already in roles where their lived experience is helping others. This programme allows participants to turn their valuable lived experience into a nationally recognised qualification at no cost. By earning a Peer Support qualification, they’ll not only gain new skills but also continue making a meaningful difference in the lives of others - all while staying in their current role. Careerforce is offering this programme with zero enrolment fees via a grant funded by Health NZ Te Whatu Ora. Applications for this funding round of the Peer Support Training Grant close at the end of June 2026. | | | | | | Digital Health Week Conference 2026 - Submissions close June 1. | | | | If you’re working to improve health and wellbeing through digital approaches, this is your platform. From AI and infrastructure to service design and frontline implementation, we’re looking for presentations that demonstrate how connection drives action.
Join a community of professionals from across health and beyond who are sharing what’s working, what’s challenging, and what’s next. Presenting is your opportunity to connect with peers, exchange ideas, and contribute to meaningful progress across the sector. | | | | | | Rural Generalist CME Workshop 2026 in Rarotonga | | This workshop is aimed at generalist doctors who work in rural hospitals and/or rural general practice. We aim to provide evidence-based, clinical updates that take into account the rural context. We engage speakers who either work rurally or have a strong understanding of the challenges of working remotely, with limited resources. It is also a really great opportunity to connect with colleagues from across Aotearoa and the Pacific – growing and strengthening our rural health community. Current topics this year will revolve around paediatrics, mental health, toxicology, neonates, and more. We will have the usual knowledge in the room, mystery activites and a dinner for all. Our lineup of current speakers includes: Mark Lankshear, Susan Weggery, Dinesha Kumarawansa, Nikky Gaffney, Trevor Lloyd, and Lisa Ten Eyck This year it’s being held from the 5-7th August at the Crown Beach Resort. Registrations close on the 26th of June. For more details view our website: https://www.otago.ac.nz/centre-for-rural-health/rural-postgraduate-programme/continued-medical-education/rural-generalist-cme-workshop-2026 If you have any questions, contact Lucinda Thatcher (Workshop Convenor): lucinda.thatcher@otago.ac.nz | | | | | | 2026 New Zealand Skin Cancer Summit | | | |
Join us for the first Summit under our new name, Skin Cancer NZ (formerly MelNet). We’re bringing the sector together to strengthen how New Zealand prevents, detects, and treats all forms of skin cancer — not just melanoma — while ensuring care is equitable and accessible for everyone. Under the theme Equity in Action: Bridging Gaps for Skin Cancer, the programme features keynote presentations, interactive panels, and skills-based workshops showcasing innovative research, real-world strategies, and collaborative solutions. The Summit begins with two optional half-day workshops on Thursday 18 June: - Skin Surgery Masterclass (morning)
- Advanced Dermoscopy Masterclass (afternoon – only a few spaces remaining).
The main conference follows on 19 – 20 June. Register by 30 May to avoid late registration fees. Where: InterContinental, Wellington
When: 18 June: Optional pre-Summit workshops | 19-20 June: Skin Cancer Summit
| | | | | | Expression of Interest for SPARC (Procedural Sedation in a Rural Context) | |
The University of Otago’s Centre for Rural Health is developing a new simulation-based course for rural practitioners of procedural sedation - SPARC (Simulated Procedural sedation and Analgesia in the Rural Context). This course is unique in that it offers simulation-based training in procedural sedation specifically for the rural context. The course will include independent online learning followed by an intensive simulation workshop spread over two half-days to allow travel to and from the course on the days it runs. This year the workshop will be at the Rural Health Academic Centre Ashburton with three choices of dates: 24–25 August 2026 12–13 October 2026 3–4 December 2026 It will be at a level appropriate for those with existing experience of procedural sedation or for those newly developing these skills. We are currently seeking Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from people interesting in attending. If you are interested, please use the link below to submit your EOI.
More information can be found at https://www.otago.ac.nz/centre-for-rural-health/rural-health-academic-centre,-ashburton/rural-procedural-sedation-simulation-course
| | | | | | Business Mental Health Toolkit - Health New Zealand | | Health New Zealand has released a new Business Mental Health Toolkit, designed to help small and medium-sized businesses support the mental health and wellbeing of their teams — particularly where formal employee assistance programmes may not exist.
The toolkit brings together a range of trusted and free wellbeing resources that employers can quickly access and share with staff, including: - 1737 free 24/7 counselling support
- Access and Choice community mental health services
- Digital wellbeing tools such as Groov and the Top Up campaign
- Practical workplace wellbeing resources and conversation starters
For many rural businesses and health services, workforce wellbeing remains an ongoing challenge, particularly where teams are small, workloads are high, and access to support can be limited. Resources like this can help make mental health support more visible and accessible for staff across rural communities.
The toolkit includes downloadable posters, wallet cards, brochures, and PowerPoint templates that workplaces can adapt and use immediately.
Health New Zealand notes that improving workplace mental wellbeing can strengthen engagement, productivity, and overall team wellbeing, with research showing positive returns for businesses that invest in mental health support. | | | | | | | | | | Pae Ora – Healthy Futures: lessons learned from the first New Zealand Rural Health Strategy Leaning on Fence Posts
| Delivering effective health care outside major cities is about far more than geography alone. This open‑access report reflects on the impact NZ's first Rural Health Strategy has had to date on our rural and remote health systems and draws out lessons for policy, commissioning, and service improvement. | | | | | | | | If you have feedback for us or want to reach out to us regarding something, feel free to contact us via the details provided below.
Write an email to communications@htrhn.org.nz to get connected with our team.
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