Winter Wellness Newsletter 2026

Kia ora Patients and Whānau,  Newsletter from Hastings and Havelock North Health Centre: 12 Month Prescription Update: We would like to let you know about the nationwide change to prescription guidelines and what this may mean for you as a patient at Hastings and Havelock North Health Centre. Prescription Duration Changes – From Today: From 1 February 2026, the maximum duration for prescriptions in New Zealand has increased from 3 months to up to 12 months. Please note: A 12-month prescription is not automatic or guaranteed A GP consultation is required to assess whether a longer prescription is safe and appropriate for you 12-month prescriptions will not be issued without an appointment Important points to know: Your health and medication safety remain our highest priority For many patients, a 3-month or 6-month prescription will continue to be the safest option Your GP or prescriber will decide whether your prescription length can be extended You may be eligible for a 12-month prescription if: Your condition is stable Your medication does not require regular monitoring The medication is approved for 12-month prescribing You are not prescribed controlled drugs (controlled medications remain limited to a maximum of 1 month) Please also be aware: You cannot request a 12-month prescription via MMH or by telephone Until a medication review is completed, prescriptions will remain on the standard 3-monthly cycle If prescribed a 12-month script, you must: Use the same pharmacy for all repeats Collect medication in 3-month quantities at a time For many patients, a 12-month prescription will not be safe: Decisions are made case by case. Extending prescription length may not be appropriate if you: Take multiple medications Have multiple health conditions Have had recent medication changes Are under the care of a specialist Take medications that require regular monitoring Ongoing Reviews: Patients on 12-month prescriptions will still require a 12-month medication review appointment At this review, your GP will assess whether it is safe to continue with another 12-month prescription A further 12-month prescription may or may not be issued, depending on clinical assessment What this means for you at Hastings and Havelock North Health Centre: Pharmacy dispensing rules do not change Pharmacies will continue to dispense a maximum of 3 months’ supply at one time Most medications will still require a 3-month GP review for new scripts There are no changes to prescription costs Urgent and non-urgent prescription timeframes remain the same Our Recommendation: Please book your GP review appointment in advance of your medication due date This helps avoid delays, especially during busy periods such as mid-winter and before or after Christmas At your next medication review, feel free to discuss with your GP whether a longer prescription may be suitable for you Changes to ADHD Diagnosis and Prescribing From 1 February 2026, some GPs can now diagnose and prescribe medication for ADHD. These appointments for ADHD assessments will be longer and cost more than regular GP or nurse appointments. What you need to know: ADHD is still a complex condition that requires time and care to diagnose properly. You won’t be able to receive a diagnosis during a standard 15-minute appointment. ADHD assessments at Hastings Health Centre will be carried out by a select group of GPs via a specialty clinic. This will not be done by your regular GP in a regular consultation. ADHD assessments require multiple appointments to ensure appropriate diagnosis, treatment and wrap around support. You should expect to attend a series of approximately 8 appointments. ADHD assessments will cost more than a usual GP appointment, because they are longer appointments. For children and young people under the age of 18, diagnosis and treatment will still involve paediatric or psychiatry specialists or multidisciplinary teams. How do I get an ADHD assessment? After the 16 th February, you can book an appointment with your GP or Nurse Practitioner, as you would normally do for a specialist referral. They will ask some questions about your symptoms and history to check if you meet the criteria for referral to the ADHD clinic. Someone from the ADHD clinic will then contact you to arrange pre-screening. We are anticipating high demand for the service, and therefore it is likely that there will be a wait time to be seen. Your understanding will be greatly appreciated. Ngā mihi Patient Support Services Hastings Health Centre. Ph 06 873 8999

Kia ora to our Customers & Whānau, As you may be aware, Manage my Health was the subject of a cyber security incident on 30th December. Many of our customers use Manage my Health (MMH) to enable you to have easy access to your health information, make appointments and communicate with your GP. Manage My Health is a software company who provides this intermediary service but it is completely separate from our Practice Management System (PMS). We appreciate that this can be unsettling to those of you that use MMH, so we have provided an update of key messages taken directly from MMH over the past couple of days. MMH are communicating directly with their users, and have assured us: · They are currently identifying users that are affected and will be contacting users directly over the next week · They have fixed the security gap, and tested it with independent cybersecurity experts · They have added additional security layers to logins · They have re-secured all health documents with strengthened storage · They are currently pursuing legal action against the offenders · They are working closely with independent cyber security specialists, the Privacy Commissioner, the New Zealand Police and Health New Zealand regarding the data breach · They are developing an 0800 number that impacted users can call to get support. In the interim , if any patients have concerns or questions , please contact info@managemyhealth.co.nz · They have temporarily redirected MMH’s mobile app to the MMH web app ( which is why MMH may look different). Please be aware that our teams at HHC do not have any further information on this issue and will not be able to answer technical questions about it. There is a comprehensive FAQ section on the MMH website should you want more information - https://managemyhealth.co.nz/faqs-cyber-breach/ . Manage my Health are confident that the breach has been contained, but we do recommend you could change your password and enable two factor authentication, including biometrics if available. MMH confirm it is safe to continue using the web app to order your prescriptions, message your GP, make appointments or receive your lab results. For regular updates on what is happening, please go direct to : www.managemyhealth.co.nz to get the latest news. Ngā mihi Patient Support Services Hastings Health Centre

December Newsletter 2025 Kia ora, Merry Christmas, (Meri Kirihimete) to all our Customers & Whānau. The Hastings and Havelock North Health Centres would like to wish you all a happy, healthy and safe holiday season. We are grateful for your continued support throughout the year and look forward to serving you in 2026. We also know that this time of year can be very stressful for people. If you are struggling, there is always support available here should you need it. Do not be scared to reach out. Medications and Repeat Prescriptions Over the Holiday Period The Holiday season is a busy time for Pharmacies, GPs and Couriers, so this is a gentle reminder to ensure a stress-free holiday season, please plan ahead. Check your medication supply now to ensure you have enough to last the two-week holiday period from December 22nd to January 5th. If you think you are going to require a repeat prescription around this time, please request your repeats before the 22 nd of December, to ensure you get your repeat prescription before Christmas. Remember repeat prescriptions are subject to a fee. General Practice Holiday Hours: Havelock North Health Centre: Closed for public holidays. Limited service with ‘On the Day’ bookings only. Dr McKendry will be available between 22 – 24 December and from January 6 th Dr Collings will be available between 22 – 24 December and from January 5 th Dr Stride will be available all the way through (not including public holidays). For all urgent care, the Hastings Health Centre Urgent Care facility will be open every day. Hastings Health Centre: General Practice will be closed for public holidays and will offer limited services with ‘On the Day’ bookings over the holiday period. There will be limited booking via Manage My Health. A reminder of suite phone numbers: Mairangi is 06 873 8551 Ngahere is 06 873 8553 Waimoana is 06 873 8554 HHC Urgent Care 06 873 8555 Havelock North is 06 877 8011 Hastings Health Centre Urgent Care: Urgent Care will remain open every day, including public holidays, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. You will be triaged and seen based on the severity of your condition. Pharmacy will remain open every day including public holidays from 8am – 8pm. Radiology is open every day except Christmas Day and will be operating on reduced hours. · Awanui Labs based at HHC will be closed over the holiday period. Last day open is Friday 19 December, reopens Monday 5 th January. · For medical advice after hours, you can also call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free 24/7 guidance. Changes to General Practice 12-Month Scripts: From early 2026, the maximum prescription duration is changing from 3 to 12 months. GPs and Nurse Practitioners will be able to issue some patients with a prescription for 12 months, if it is clinically safe to do so, and if you meet the eligibility criteria. · your condition and medication have been stable for a minimum of 6 months · your condition or medication don’t need regular monitoring · the medicine is approved for 12month scripts (controlled drugs are still at a maximum of 1 month, and oral contraceptives at 6 months) · you participate in an annual in-person review of your medication (this does not include Urgent Care consultations). Only a few stable medications will be suitable for 12 month prescriptions. At Hastings Health Centre your health and safety will be at the centre of any decision made about this, and decisions will be at your clinician’s discretion. More information will follow in the New Year Ngahere Clinical Triage: The Ngahere suite have moved to a morning clinical triage system, which is available for all Ngahere patients phoning in, wanting to make an urgent on the day appointment. All Ngahere patients that phone in will be phoned back by a GP or Nurse the same morning. This is to ensure those patients that require a same day appointment are prioritised. All Ngahere GP’s have reserved slots every day to see their patients needing urgent on the day appointments. These appointments can not be booked on MMH, so please phone in the morning to Ngahere reception if you require an on the day urgent appointment. Pack the Bus: Hastings Health Centre are excited to be a collection point for Pack the Bus this year. See below for details of how you can support women and their families through the Women’s Refuge. We will be collecting gifts up until 12 th December. General Information and reminders: GP and Nurse Appointments GP and nurse appointments are typically 15 minutes, which is sufficient to address one medical issue. If you wish to discuss multiple concerns, please inform the receptionist so a double appointment slot can be booked (additional fees may apply). We recommend booking your appointments in advance to avoid disappointment. If you need to cancel your appointment, please notify us as soon as possible via reception or through Manage My Health. Failure to cancel appointments in a timely manner may result in a missed appointment fee. Booking via phone or Manage My Health (MMH) Portal MMH is our patient portal. Please ask your reception for more information if you haven’t already signed up. It is a quick and easy way of booking with your GP for non-urgent bookings or for scripts. Urgent bookings can be made via phones. Note that the phones are very busy between 8am – 11am. If your booking is not urgent, please phone in after 11am. Payment for Consultations We kindly ask for prompt payment for consultations, ideally on the day. You can pay at the counter or online. If paying online, please ensure you include your full name, invoice number, NHI and chart number for reference. If you are having difficulty paying your bill in full, please ask about payment options at reception—we can arrange automatic payments for you. AI technology at Hastings Health Centre Most of our GPs use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in summarising consultations. The AI, ‘Heidi’ is being used as a scribing tool; it is not a diagnostic tool. If you prefer not to have AI used during your consultation, let your GP know at the start of your visit. If you want to know about Heidi and how it is used, please go to our website for further information. Vaccinations / Immunisations A timely reminder to check your vaccination status for flu (every yr), and Covid (every 6 months). Ensure you family members immunisation records are all up to date before they head back to school, and day care in the new year. With the recent outbreak of Measles, it is important that everyone knows their MMR immunisation status. MMR vaccines are currently funded for all people who are eligible for funded healthcare in NZ. If you have children heading off to boarding school or university, students living in dorms have a higher risk for Meningococcal disease. The vaccine is recommended before starting school. Thank you once again for choosing us for your healthcare needs. We wish you a happy holiday season and look forward to seeing you all in the new year! Ngā mihi Patient Support Services Hastings Health Centre.

Customer Focus Group

Kia ora Patients and Whānau, Winter has well and truly arrived here in Hawkes Bay. Stay well over winter, get your Covid and Flu vaccination now! If you haven’t done so already, Flu and Covid vaccinations can be booked any day of the week at HHC. You can request a vaccine if you have an existing appointment or book separately, and you can have both Flu and Covid at the same time – but you will have to wait 20 mins afterwards if you are having the Covid vaccination. If you have respiratory symptoms (regardless of whether it is covid or not), please phone in and let Reception know. A phone consult may be more appropriate rather than you come into the Health Centre. If you do present at the Health Centre and you have respiratory symptoms, please ensure you wear a mask. The Reception team will book you in at a time that is convenient for you. A reminder of our Reception phone numbers: Waimoana phone 06 873 8554 Ngahere phone 06 873 8553 Mairangi phone 06 873 8551 Havelock Nth phone 06 877 8011 Criteria for funded Flu vaccinations in 2025 are: All pregnant people People aged 65yrs and over People aged 6 months to 65yrs with eligible conditions. Children 4 yrs of age and under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness or have a history of significant respiratory illness. People aged 6 months to under 65 yrs with serious mental health and addiction conditions. Currently, there are no unfunded Flu Quad vaccinations available. Phone Lines Our phone lines are busiest between 8am and 11am . If your request or enquiry is not urgent, call later in the day or consider using our Manage My Health patient portal. Manage My Health – Our Patient Portal: Manage My Health is our convenient online patient portal where you can: Order non-urgent prescriptions Book non-urgent appointments View your test results Please note, charges may apply if you wish to seek medical advice through MMH. Follow us on Facebook or visit our updated website for news: Stay up to date with all our latest news and services. Follow us on Facebook @HastingsHealthCentre or Check out our new website. www.hastingshealth.co.nz Clinical Triage coming to the Ngahere Suite for all on the day urgent appointments: You might have noticed recently that some of our GP’s are using clinical telephone triage as a way to better manage the unplanned daily demand for ‘urgent on the day appointments’. In the Ngahere suite, all of our GP’s are moving to clinical triage for their ‘urgent on the day appointments’ from Monday the 12 th May. A triage call is a short 3 – 5-minute call back service. It is a short assessment by your Clinician, to determine the most appropriate course of action for you on the day. If you call in and want a same day appointment, you will be advised by Reception that you will be put on the daily triage list, and that you will get a call back by your GP or Nurse. You will not be charged for the triage call, but you will be charged for the outcome: Outcome examples are: A prescription is ordered A work certificate requested, A full telephone consult is provided by a Nurse or a GP with advice and a care plan A face-to- face consult is booked for you here in Ngahere The reason we are using clinical triage is because it helps us to improve your access to your GP. Sometimes the GP or Nurse will be able to resolve your issue quickly over the phone. Other times your GP might ask you to come in and see them today or book you in for future appointment, depending on the issue. The goal of clinical triage is to provide you with an improved patient experience by saving you time and unnecessary travel where possible. Urgent Care Don’t forget that HHC has its very own walk in Accident and Medical Centre on site. It is open 7 days a week, including public holidays and no appointment is necessary. Hours are from 8am – 8pm. This service is available for everybody in Hawkes Bay, including visitors. You do not have to be enrolled to use the service. Invoicing and online payments Where possible we prefer you pay on the day. If you have money owing, an invoice will be sent to your email address electronically at the start of each month. This is more efficient and environmentally friendly. Please ensure we have the correct email address registered for you. If you don’t have an email address, you will receive a hard copy account in the post. If you are unable to pay your full account each month, please contact a member of the Reception team to discuss payment options. Automatic payments are easy to set up, if required. Stay well and thank you for supporting Hastings and Havelock North Health Centers. Ngā mihi Patient Support Services Hastings Health Centre.

Reminder to patients aged 65 years- you are eligible for a shingles vaccine One dose of Shingrix® is indicated for the prevention of shingles. It can be given to patients who have previously had shingles. One dose of Shingrix is funded for adults aged 65 years and can be booked via your Practice Nurse on Manage My Health portal (email) or phone  (06) 873 8999  .

Kia ora Patients and Whānau, Newsletter RE: Flu vaccinations at the Hastings Health Centre, April 5th, 2024 It is flu season once again. The Hastings Health Centre have now started taking bookings for Flu Vaccination Clinics. Drive through Flu Clinics will run in the car park (King Street North end) all day Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday. Enter the car park from Nelson Street North, and exit via King Street North. You can also book in on Thursday – Friday for your flu vaccinations in the suites. To book, please phone your suite. The reception team will book you in at a time that is convenient for you. Waimoana phone 06 878 8554 Ngahere phone 06 873 8553 Mairangi phone 06 873 8551 This year the eligibility for funded influenza vaccinations have changed. The criteria for funded Flu vaccinations for 2024 are: Pregnant people People aged 65yrs and over People aged 6 months to 65yrs with eligible conditions. Children 4 yrs of age and under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness or have a history of significant respiratory illness. People aged 6 months to under 65 yrs with serious mental health and addiction conditions. Unfunded vaccinations are available for purchase for those that do not meet the criteria for a funded vaccine. The cost is $36. If you wish to book or discuss this option further, please call your suite. A reminder that you can book a covid vaccination at any time in the suites. You can book both the Flu and Covid combination, but this must be done in the suite – as you will need to be monitored for a period of time following your Covid Vaccination. Ngā mihi Patient Support Services 

Join Our Customer Focus Group! Your voice matters! Help us shape the future of healthcare in our community. Why Join? Share your experiences and insights Influence improvements in patient care Connect with other patients and healthcare professionals Make a difference in your community When: Quarterly meetings (virtual options available!) Where: Hastings Health Centre Time Commitment: Just 2 hours, 4 times a year to attend meetings and occasional email correspondence for feedback over the year. Benefits of Participating: Be heard and valued Gain knowledge about healthcare trends Receive updates on changes influenced by your feedback Complimentary refreshments for in-person meetings! Sign Up Today! Click here to register your interest – Expressions of Interest Click here for our Focus Group Poster