Kia ora,

 

Thank you for your Official Information Act (the Act) request. This is
an automatic reply to let you know we received it.

 

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic response, the Ministry is experiencing
significantly higher volumes of queries and requests for information. We
will endeavour to acknowledge your request as soon as possible. Further
information about COVID-19 can be found on our
website: [1]https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/dise...

 

In accordance with the Act, we'll let you know our decision within no more
than 20 working days. If you'd like to calculate the timeframe, you can
use the Ombudsman's online calculator
here: [2]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/

If you have any questions while we're processing your request, please let
us know via [3][email address]

 

Ngā mihi  

OIA Services Team  

   

[4]Ministry of Health information releases  

[5]Unite against COVID-19 

 

 

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Kia ora Gregory,

 

Thank you for your request for official information. The Ministry's
reference number for your request is: H202116266.

 

As required under the Official Information Act 1982, the Ministry will
endeavour to respond to your request no later than 20 working days after
the day your request was received. If you'd like to calculate the
timeframe, you can use the Ombudsman's online calculator
here: [1]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/

 

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic response, the Ministry is experiencing
significantly higher volumes of queries and requests for information. If
we are unable to respond to your request within this time frame, we will
notify you of an extension of that time frame.

 

If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch.

 

Ngā mihi

 

OIA Services

Government Services

Office of the Director-General

Ministry of Health

E: [2][email address]

 

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Kia ora Gregory,

This email is to advise you that your request has been passed on to the
Primary Care team within the Ministry of Health, who will be responding to
you directly. You can expect a response from them in due course.

 

 

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Hi Gregory,

 

Thank you for your message. Your query regarding general practitioner (GP)
ratios and minimum standards for operating a general practice has been
directed to the Primary Care team at the Ministry of Health (the
Ministry). We are responding to you directly as all information you
requested is already publicly available which we will outline below.

 

There is no maximum number of patients allowed per GP or Nurse
Practitioner. The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners
(RNZCGP) recommends approximately one GP to 1300-1500 patients and there
are different recommended ratios for areas with higher proportions of
vulnerable population groups however these are only recommendations.

 

Funding for General Practice is calculated on the number of enrolled
patients in each general practice. This funding is called capitation based
funding and the formula does not include a funding limit. Each person
enrolled at a general practice will be assigned a funding amount based on
the following categories.

·         Age.

·         Gender.

·         High User Health Card holder status.

·         Community Services Card holder status.

·         Deprivation quintile: derived from the person’s validated
primary residential address.

·         Ethnicity.

 

More information on how general practice is funded can be found in the PHO
Services Agreement, via
[1]PHO-Services-Agreement-Version-6.3-1-July-2021.pdf (tas.health.nz) and
in its reference document Business Rules – National Enrolment Service and
Capitation Based Funding via [2]Business Rules Templates (tas.health.nz)

 

There is a requirement in the RNZCGP mandated Foundation Standard that a
practice be responsive to urgent health needs, which can include
prescribing medicines. There is no requirement however, to have a health
professional with prescribing rights on site at all times that a practice
is open, for example a practice may have no clinician with prescribing
rights at a particular time e.g. evenings, weekends, on a clinicians day
off or when prescribing staff may be on sick leave, but there will be
expectations specified for a practice depending on primary health
organisation (PHO) agreements. The requirements for a practice to operate
with no staff who have prescribing rights depends on the practice’s
‘back-to-back agreement’ with their PHO. The ‘back-to-back agreement’ is
an agreement the general practice holds between themselves and their PHO
and includes a guide to safe operating standards and expectations for
delivering patient care to their enrolled population. The content of these
agreements may be slightly different between PHOs and this information is
held by the PHOs themselves. More information on the RNZCGP Foundation
Standards for general practice can be found via [3]Foundation Standard.

 

If you would like to know specifics about your PHO or practice, I
encourage you to contact your PHO.  You can find your PHO by searching for
‘PHO’ on the Ministry of Health’s website - [4]About primary health
organisations | Ministry of Health NZ. If you prefer, I am happy to
contact the PHO on your behalf, I would just need to know the name of your
practice or PHO.

 

Thank you

 

Jordan Crosbie

Senior Advisor - Primary Health Care System Improvement and Innovation
l Health System Improvement and Innovation l 

I work remotely on Thursday and Fridays – please include virtual options
for hui (meetings)

 

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References

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5. mailto:[FOI #17591 email]
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