Health NZ – West Coast

14/11/2025

The much-anticipated renovation of the South Westland Area Practice’s Hari Hari Clinic is underway and hence the clinic will be closed for the duration of this work which is expected to be completed by Christmas. Services will remain available with additional clinic time scheduled at the Whataroa and Franz Josef clinics.

Please call our reception team at the Franz Josef Clinic (03 752 0700) to make an appointment, to speak with a nurse, or to discuss any specific needs.

After hours, please contact Ka Ora 0800 2 KA ORA (0800 252 672)

In an emergency, call 111

05/11/2025

Now is the perfect time to check your immunisation status and book your MMR vaccine.

The MMR vaccine is free for:
- Everyone aged under 18 (regardless of immigration status)
- Adults over 18 eligible for funded healthcare
- Some non-eligible adults during outbreaks in affected regions

How to book 📅

For ages 13 and over, vaccinations can be booked online or over the phone.

- Book a vaccine online: bookmyvaccine.health.nz
- Book over the phone: 0800 28 29 26 (8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday).

For those aged 13 and under, contact your doctor, nurse, or healthcare provider to book an appointment.

Children over 3 years old can get an MMR vaccine at lots of pharmacies. You can search for one near you on Healthpoint: www.healthpoint.co.nz/immunisation


You can also book through your GP, nurse, or Hauora Māori or Pacific healthcare provider.

Need help? Call the Vaccination Helpline on 0800 28 29 26 (Mon–Fri 8:30am–9pm, weekends 8:30am–2pm) for support). Interpreters, Māori kaimahi or disability advisors are available.

05/11/2025

Now is the perfect time to check your immunisation status and book your MMR vaccine. Visit bookmyvaccine.health.nz to book online.

You can also book through your GP, nurse, or Hauora Māori or Pacific healthcare provider.

Need help? Call the Vaccination Helpline on 0800 28 29 26 (between 8.30am and 9pm Mon-Fri, or 9am - 2pm Sat and Sun, except public holidays).

The MMR vaccine is free for:

✅ Everyone aged under 18 (regardless of immigration status)
✅ Adults over 18 eligible for funded healthcare
✅ Some non-eligible adults during outbreaks in affected regions

Children over 3 years old can get an MMR vaccine at lots of pharmacies. You can search for one near you on Healthpoint: healthpoint.co.nz/immunisation

04/11/2025

Not sure if you’re protected against measles? Here’s how to check:

💻 Use the online tool
It guides you through what to look for based on your age and vaccination history. Find it here: info.health.nz/measles

💻 Log into My Health Record via your My Health Account to view your immunisation records (available for most people vaccinated after 2005).

👩🏽‍⚕️ Ask your doctor, nurse, healthcare provider or hauora provider. They can check your records or advise if you should get vaccinated.

📱 Call the Vaccination Helpline on 0800 28 29 26 (Mon–Fri 8:30am–9pm, weekends 8:30am–2pm) for support. Interpreters, Māori kaimahi or disability advisors are available.

✅ Other places you can check include your online patient portal (e.g. Manage My Health), your childhood health book such as your Plunket or WellChild Tamariki Ora book, calling your local lab as they might have records of measles immunity tests you've had in the past.

✈️ If you grew up overseas, contact your previous doctor or healthcare clinics to see if they have your immunisation records.

💙 No records? Not sure? It’s safe for most to get another dose of the MMR vaccine and it’s free for most people in NZ.

This Measles Immunisation Week (3–7 Nov), take action to protect yourself and your whānau.

02/11/2025

It’s Measles Immunisation Week! 🛡️

Measles is highly contagious - but the good thing is it’s also preventable. This week is all about making sure our communities are protected.

💉 The MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) is free for anyone under 18 and for those eligible for free healthcare.
📍 Drop-in clinics are running across the country - no appointment needed.
👶 Not sure if your child is immunised? Now’s the time to check.

📲 Visit info.health.nz/immunisations/immunisation-clinics for local pop up clinics near you. You can also refer to healthpoint.co.nz as not all immunisation clinics are listed in info.health.nz.

Another option for booking an MMR vaccine is to book online: info.health.nz/bookavaccine

30/10/2025

Is it measles or chickenpox? With measles spreading in Aotearoa NZ, it’s important to know the difference.

Sometimes, measles is mixed up with chickenpox, but they are two very different illnesses, with measles being more severe.

Here’s what to look for:

🤒 Measles: Starts with a high fever, red itchy eyes, a cough and runny nose. A rash follows, starting on the face then covering the body.

😖 Chickenpox: Starts with itchy blisters all over the body. Fever is mild to moderate, and a headache or fatigue might be present.

Before vaccines, some parents held chickenpox or measles “parties”, but these are *not* safe!

Both viruses can cause serious illness, and measles is especially dangerous and can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling, and other health complications such as hearing loss.

Deliberately exposing tamariki to measles can put them and others at serious risk, especially those who are immunocompromised.

Both illnesses have vaccines. Check you’re up-to-date with your immunisations to have the best protection: http://spr.ly/61887Ehxe

29/10/2025

Measles is spreading in Aotearoa NZ. Here's what you need to know to protect yourself and your whānau/family.

✅ Check locations of interest: http://spr.ly/61807EFog

✅ Check if you're immunised against measles: http://spr.ly/61817EFo9

✅ If you are not protected, get immunised. To be protected, you need two doses of the MMR vaccine after 12 months of age. If you are not sure if you have had two doses, it's safe for most to have an additional dose. Book at http://spr.ly/61827EFoi

✅ If you think you might have measles, call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free, 24/7 - they will advise you on what to do.

🤧 Measles starts with a cough, runny nose and sore red eyes. A rash follows. This begins on the face and develops down the body. You can look at photos of measles rash here: http://spr.ly/61837EFoc

‼️ Measles is a serious and very contagious illness. Complications can include pneumonia, brain swelling, hearing loss. In NZ's 2019 measles epidemic, 1 in 3 people with measles needed hospital care. Children are most at risk, especially those under 12 months of age - to protect babies and young children we need as many people immunised as possible.

If you have any questions about the MMR vaccine, talk to your usual health provider, or call the Vaccination Helpline on 0800 28 29 26.

Kia mataara, kia haumaru te noho e te whānau!

26/10/2025

🌍 Today is World Occupational Therapy Day! 🎉

We're celebrating the incredible mahi / work of our Occupational Therapists (OTs) across the Coast.

This year’s theme, “Occupational Therapy in Action” shines a light on the proactive, compassionate and creative ways our OTs help people engage in meaningful activities and participation.

Occupational Therapy is all about empowering people to live their fullest lives — supporting recovery, restoring independence and helping individuals rediscover what matters most after illness, injury, or major life changes.

Every day, our OT team brings this philosophy to life:
🛏️ Supporting recovery in the inpatient ward
🏡 Helping patients return safely home
💪 Guiding long-term rehabilitation
🧠 Championing mental health and wellbeing
🧒👵 Working across all ages, from paediatrics to aged care
🏠 Conducting home safety assessments and recommending personalised equipment.

Their work restores not just movement and strength, but also confidence, dignity, and hope. OTs collaborate across hospital and community services, tailoring practical solutions that make a genuine difference.

To all our Occupational Therapists — thank you for your dedication, compassion, and action. 💙



Photo: (L to R) Occupational Therapists Pete Bleeker, Rachel Neame, Toni Hands, Georgie Lindsay and Marion Edwin

24/10/2025

Measles is here and there’s an increasing risk of it spreading in our communities. Here’s what you need to know and do to protect yourself and your whānau/family. Click on the photos in this post and swipe through them.

Get immunised. This is the best protection, and it is one of the most effective vaccines providing 99% protection (when two doses are given). Book at bookmyvaccine.nz

Kia mataara, kia haumaru te noho e te whānau!

Keep abreast of locations of interest: info.health.nz/conditions-treatments/infectious-diseases/about-measles/measles-locations-of-interest-in-aotearoa-new-zealand

23/10/2025

🌿 Te Kōunga o Te Hiringa Gary Coghlan Studentship Programme 2026 🌿

Honouring the legacy of Gary Coghlan – a champion for Māori health and rangatahi on Te Tai o Poutini.

✅ Are you passionate about Māori or Pasifika health?
✅ Thinking about a career in hauora and want hands-on experience in rural health?

✨ Six studentships available
💰 Each student receives $5,000 (taxable wage)
📍 Based on the West Coast
📅 Runs 12 Jan – 5 Feb 2026

We’re looking for students who:
✅ Are studying or planning to study at a NZ education institution
✅ Have lived on the West Coast, whakapapa to Te Tai o Poutini, or have strong ties to the region
✅ Live by the values of whanaungatanga, arohatanga, and manaakitanga

📝 Applications close: Sunday 16 November 2025
📌 Apply via our careers site – link in comments.

Mā te kimi ka kite, mā te kite ka mōhio, mā te mōhio ka mārama
Seek and discover, discover and know, know and become enlightened.

Kia hiwa rā – don’t miss this opportunity!

Read what our 2025 Gary Coghlan Studentship recipients Iris and Cameron say about their experience 👇

Development West Coast (DWC) scholarship recipients Iris Reynolds and Cameron Dickey gained hands-on healthcare experience at Te Nīkau Hospital through Te Kōunga o Te Hiringa Gary Coghlan Studentship Programme this summer.

21/10/2025

Measles update: Three new cases confirmed - two in Manawatū and one in Nelson. Two of the cases are children.

These are in addition to the Auckland case earlier this week.

Measles is highly contagious and can cause serious illness. During the NZ measles epidemic in 2019, 1 in 3 people with measles needed hospital care.

🕵️‍♀️ Contact tracing is underway. We’re supporting all affected individuals and exploring possible undetected community transmission.

✅ Protect yourself and your whānau:
Get 2 doses of the MMR vaccine.

📍For all locations of interest info visit this regularly updated web page: info.health.nz/conditions-treatments/infectious-diseases/about-measles/measles-locations-of-interest-in-aotearoa-new-zealand

There are locations of interest already published for Manawatū. And any further locations of interest that the Manawatū and Nelson cases visited while infectious are being investigated and will be published online as they become available.

Learn about measles and its symptoms: info.health.nz/conditions-treatments/infectious-diseases/about-measles

If you think you might have measles, call Healthline on 0800 611 116 or call your doctor (do not go into the clinic). They will advise you on what to do.

Media release: tewhatuora.govt.nz/corporate-information/news-and-updates/escalated-national-risk-of-measles-following-confirmation-of-cases-in-multiple-regions

20/10/2025

Inhaling dust from potting mix or compost can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a severe and sometimes life-threatening chest infection.

To protect your lungs and avoid getting Legionnaires’ disease:

👉 Use potting mix or compost outside
👉 Wear a well-fitting face mask. An N95 or respirator is best
👉 Wear gloves when handling potting mix or compost
👉 Open potting mix or compost bags carefully using scissors, away from your face
👉 Reduce dust by dampening down the potting mix or compost before using it
👉 Wash your hands thoroughly after handling potting mix or compost and before touching your face or removing your mask.