Waitakere Union Health Centre

09/12/2025

🩺 Clinical Team Spotlight Series 🩺

Join us over the next few weeks as we introduce you to the team.

Registered Nurse Prescriber | Franz Arevalo

Areas of interest/expertise:
Immunisations
Diabetes
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)

What inspired you to work in General Practice, and what do you enjoy about it?
“I love being able to spend more time with patients and provide ongoing, long-term care. I’m passionate about education and prevention to help people live healthier lives.”

Hobbies outside of Nursing?
“I’m into lifting weights 💪 - it’s a great way to unwind after a busy day in the clinic."

One fun fact about you?
“I’m all about educating my patients with health advice... but I have to admit, I rely on energy drinks to keep me going."

You will find Franz in the clinic Monday - Saturday.

Stay tuned for our next Clinical Team Spotlight!

04/12/2025

Haere mai, Alana!

We are pleased to welcome Alana, our new Health Coach (HC) to our team.

📍Waitakere Health Centre
Monday, Tuesday

📍Otahuhu Health Centre
Thursday, Friday

Health Coaches provide a free service, ask your GP or Nurse to make a referral for you, or phone/email Reception.

02/12/2025

Kia ora Waitakere Health Centre patients,

We are OPEN and here to support you if needed over the Christmas & New Year holiday period 🎄

Saturdays are OPEN 9am - 1pm also (walk in available)

Noho ora mai rā

28/10/2025

Changes to Union Member Entitlements | Effective 1st November 2025

Kia ora Union Members,

We wish to inform you of an upcoming change to service entitlements.

Starting 1st November 2025, Union Members will be entitled to 4 free services per calendar year (January to December).

These services include:
· Consultations (each consultation = 15 minutes)
· Prescriptions

Examples of how your annual allowance may be used:
· 4 consultations
· 3 consultations + 1 prescription
· 2 consultations + 2 prescriptions
· Any other combination totalling 4 services

Due to significant cuts in primary care funding across the region, our ability to continue offering highly subsidised services has been directly impacted. To ensure we can maintain the high quality care you deserve, it has become necessary to adjust our fees.

We greatly appreciate your understanding and continued support. Our priority remains your health and wellbeing, and we are committed to providing the best possible care.

If you have any questions, please send us a message or phone our reception team.

Ngā mihi,
Waitakere Health Centre

24/10/2025

Haere mai, Sheela!

We are pleased to welcome Sheela, our new Health Improvement Practitioner (HIP) to our team.

📍Waitakere Health Centre
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday

📍Otahuhu Health Centre
Monday and Thursday

HIPs provide a free service, ask your GP or Nurse to make a referral for you.

17/10/2025

Are you or someone you know having trouble with your hearing? Tired of repeating yourself?

The lovely Alex from Your Way l Kia Roha is in our clinic every second Tuesday morning with limited appointments for those aged 16 and over:

🦻 Free hearing tests
🦻 Help with hearing
🦻 Managing Tinnitus
🦻 Communication strategies

Hearing Therapy is a free and independent service that can help you live well with hearing loss. Funded by Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People.

Phone Reception today 09 837 3933 for appointments

Send a message to learn more

15/10/2025

We can't express enough how important mammograms are, this is fantastic news for our wāhine.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month 💗

🎀Mums need mammograms like kids need mums.
🎀Early detection of breast cancer is to supplement regular mammograms with general breast awareness.
🎀Know what your breasts normally look and feel like and report any changes to your GP promptly.
🎀Don’t ignore any changes which develop between mammograms.

We are so excited to share that breast screening is now officially being extended nationwide to include women aged up to 74, a change that will save lives through early detection.

We’ve been campaigning for this extension for eight years, knowing that a woman’s risk of breast cancer is actually higher at 70 than it is at 50. This means thousands more women will now have the chance to receive an early diagnosis when breast cancer is most curable.

Nelson woman Rita knows just how important that one extra mammogram can be. After turning 74 last year, she was invited for one more free mammogram, which found stage 1 breast cancer.

“I’d been naïve in thinking I was no longer at risk once screening stopped at 69. I was very lucky mine was caught early. That extra mammogram could be all the difference.”

Every year, around 350 women aged 70–74 are diagnosed with breast cancer in New Zealand. This national roll-out gives more women the chance to detect it early, avoid invasive treatment, and live longer, healthier lives.

Today is a significant milestone. After years of advocacy, we’re so pleased to see New Zealand finally on par with countries like Australia, Canada, France, Sweden and the UK - ensuring more women can access life-saving screening for longer.

13/10/2025

We have noticed an increase in patients who are struggling and unaware about local food banks.

If you are in need due to financial hardship and are unable to afford groceries, with no access to other support, please check the list below and contact your nearest location.

Ngā mihi

🍓🥑🍊🍉🥕🌽🍅

www.foodbank.co.nz/west-auckland

13/10/2025

Today we pause to acknowledge Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. We hold close all those living with advanced breast cancer, and remember those we’ve lost. To everyone affected - we see you, we honour you, and we will keep pushing for access to quick and effective treatments, supportive care, and a future where those with breast cancer can live and live well.💗

08/10/2025

01/10/2025

If you haven't already heard, there is currently a measles outbreak 😷🦠

Measles is highly contagious - up to 90 percent of non-immune people (those who have not been vaccinated or have not already had it) will be infected if they are exposed to the virus.

It's free for those under 18, and eligible adults 💉

Book now 👉 09 837 3933

With measles cases confirmed in Aotearoa New Zealand, it’s important we all stay alert. Symptoms include: high fever, cough, runny nose, sore red eyes, and followed by a rash.

📍 Locations of interest in Northland/Te Tai Tokerau, Queenstown, and Cromwell are listed here: http://spr.ly/6187A9Ap9. Please check if you or your whānau/family may have been exposed.

🤒 If you or your whānau feel unwell, stay home, and call your GP/hauora provider or Healthline 0800 611 116 for free advice.

✅ Anyone who hasn’t had 2 doses of the MMR vaccine (including tamariki/children) should get immunised. This is the best protection.

🛡️ Protect your whānau and your whakapapa. If you're not sure if you had two MMR doses, your GP or hauora provider can help you check.

👩🏽‍⚕️ Pop-up immunisation clinics are running in Northland/Te Tai Tokerau - find details here: http://spr.ly/6188A9Api

Clinics in other regions are listed here: info.health.nz/immunisations/immunisation-clinics

If you can’t find an immunisation clinic in your area, please contact your doctor, hauora or health provider, or call the Vaccination Helpline free on 0800 28 29 26 (8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday).

You can also book a vaccination appointment at: info.health.nz/bookavaccine

More info: http://spr.ly/6189A9Apc

30/09/2025

🎉We are thrilled to announce starting THIS Saturday 4th October, we are open 6 days! 🎉

Our Saturday clinic is available for after hours care - please note the below.

🩺 Fees/surcharge applies on weekends
🩺 Urgent cases only (ie, if it can’t wait until Monday)
🩺 Accounts must be paid at the time of your visit

We look forward to welcoming you soon!

Questions? Comment below 👇🏼