The Doctors Lower Hutt

06/03/2026

💖 Protect your heart with early screening!

Early detection plays a key role in reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and heart attack. A Cardiovascular Risk Assessment (CVRA), also known as a heart check, helps estimate your risk of having a cardiovascular event in the next five years.

CVRAs are carried out by our specialist nurses and include a review of your medical history, lifestyle factors, blood pressure, and relevant blood tests. Follow-up and monitoring is tailored to your individual risk.

▪ Men should screen from ages 45–74 and women from 55–74, though some people may need earlier screening based on risk factors.

If you’re due for a heart check, or would like to learn more, please call us on (04) 555 4450 to book an appointment with one of our nurses.

05/03/2026

💊 12-MONTH PRESCRIPTIONS REMINDER

From Feb 2026, repeat prescriptions are available for longer periods (up to 12 months) for long-term medications when your condition is stable, and no medication alterations are needed.

📍 PLEASE NOTE: A consultation is required for this to ensure your condition and treatment is appropriate. The decision to approve or decline a medication lies with the prescriber.

Learn more here: https://www.thedoctors.co.nz/services/repeat-prescriptions

04/03/2026

🆓 Free support for managing stress

Our Health Improvement Practitioner, Jo, can support you with practical strategies to manage stress and make positive lifestyle changes.

Working alongside our clinical team, Jo offers support for:

🔷 Improving your mood or mental health
🔷 Changing habits to reduce the harm of drinking or drug use
🔷 Getting better sleep and addressing other physical health issues that are impacting your mental well-being
🔷 Talk about things that are bothering you – relationships, grief, loneliness, or family violence
🔷 Making lifestyle changes to manage long-term health conditions, disabilities, or chronic pain
🔷 Increase connection to the positive supports in your life, helping you to feel less alone
🔷 Get connected to services in the community.

Learn more about HIP and HC services here: https://www.thedoctors.co.nz/healthcare-team/health-improvement-practitioners-and-health-coaches

Appointments with Jo are FREE for enrolled patients.

To book, call us 📱 on (04) 555 4450, speak to your GP, or ask at Reception--no referral needed.

Learn about how Health Improvement Practitioners and Health Coaches work closely with GPs and health professionals at The Doctors Medical Centres.

02/03/2026

🩺 Looking after yourself during times of stress

There are practical steps you can take to help manage stress and support your wellbeing:

📌 Talk about how you’re feeling with friends, whānau, or a health professional
📌 Stay physically active - even a short daily walk can help
📌 Make time for activities you enjoy and find relaxing
📌 Try stress-reduction techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness, or meditation
📌 Prioritise sleep and aim for a regular sleep routine
📌 Eat well, including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables

If stress is affecting your daily life, or you’re concerned it may be contributing to anxiety or low mood, talk to your GP or other health professional.

27/02/2026

📣 Can stress cause a heart attack?

Stress on its own does not directly cause a heart attack. However, the way people respond to ongoing stress can increase their risk. Habits such as drinking too much alcohol, smoking, eating poorly, or being less physically active can all raise the likelihood of heart disease and heart attack over time.

❤️‍🩹 Stress can also play a role in other heart conditions. In rare cases, severe or sudden emotional stress may trigger conditions such as takotsubo cardiomyopathy (often called “broken heart syndrome”) or spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD). While uncommon, these conditions highlight the powerful effect stress can have on the heart.

25/02/2026

🏳️‍⚧️ New gender affirming medicine clinic available for patients of The Doctors Lower Hutt

We’re pleased to share that Dr AJ Eckert has recently started a Gender Affirming Medicine clinic at The Doctors Silverstream. This clinic is available to patients enrolled with The Doctors Silverstream, The Doctors Muritai, and The Doctors Lower Hutt.

Dr Eckert has 19 years’ medical experience, including 11 years in primary care, with a special focus on LGBTQIA+ health, sexual health, and gender affirming care. The clinic operates under an informed consent model and is welcoming of patients of all ages, identities, and gender expressions.

Appointments begin with a 60-minute initial consultation to discuss individual needs and goals. Dr Eckert can provide support with:

🟣 Hormone prescribing and monitoring (binary and non-binary people)
🟣 Micro-dosing and lower-dose hormone therapy
🟣 Referrals for gender affirming procedures and surgeries
🟣 Pre- and post-operative gender affirming care
🟣 Pelvic exams and cervical screening
🟣 PrEP and PEP prescribing
🟣 STI and HIV testing

⚠ PLEASE NOTE: Appointments for this clinic are currently available by phone only and take place at The Doctors Silverstream.

📲 To book or to find out more, please call the practice on (04) 527 7376.

23/02/2026

💓 Does stress increase your risk of heart disease?

Short-term stress triggers the release of adrenaline, causing temporary increases in heart rate and blood pressure. Once the stress passes, these changes usually return to normal and do not cause lasting harm.

When stress becomes ongoing, however, it can contribute to long-term health issues. Chronic stress leads to sustained elevation of cortisol, increasing inflammation in the body and potentially damaging blood vessels over time. It can also encourage habits such as reduced physical activity, increased alcohol intake, poorer sleep, and less healthy eating. Together, these factors can contribute to long-term high blood pressure (hypertension), which significantly increases the risk of heart disease.

20/02/2026

📣 Is stress getting you down?

Stress is your body’s natural response to pressure or challenging situations. Common symptoms include:

🔸 Feeling irritable, anxious, or overwhelmed
🔸 Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
🔸 Poor sleep or ongoing fatigue
🔸 Headaches, muscle tension, or stomach problems
🔸 Changes in appetite
🔸 Increased heart rate or palpitations
🔸 Withdrawing from social activities you usually enjoy.

Everyone experiences stress at times, but how we respond to it can make a big difference to our health and wellbeing. Talking with a health professional can help you understand your stress and develop strategies to cope more effectively.

18/02/2026

💊 12-MONTH PRESCRIPTIONS

From Feb 2026, repeat prescriptions are available for longer periods (up to 12 months) for long-term medications when your condition is stable, and no medication alterations are needed.

📍 PLEASE NOTE: A consultation is required for this to ensure your condition and treatment is appropriate. The decision to approve or decline a medication lies with the prescriber.

Learn more here: https://www.thedoctors.co.nz/services/repeat-prescriptions

15/02/2026

⚠️ SERVICE UPDATE 16/02/2026

Dear patients, due to the extreme weather across the region today effecting staffing, we will unfortunately have to cancel and/or rearrange some appointments today.

If your appointment is going to be affected, a member of our team will be in touch ASAP to rearrange this for you. Many apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Please keep an eye out on this page for any further updates.

Kind regards,
The Doctors Lower Hutt

01/02/2026

📣 12-MONTH SCRIPT LEGISLATION CHANGES

From 1st February 2026 changes to prescribing lengths have come into action, allowing GPs to issue prescriptions up to 12-months in length to some patients, if clinically safe to do so. The decision on the appropriate prescription length will be entirely down to the GP’s discretion on a case-by-case basis but primarily aims at providing easier access to medication for people with long-term, stable conditions.

There are certain prescriptions which cannot be issued more frequently, for example:
▪ Controlled medicines (e.g. opioids, stimulants, etc).
▪ Medications/conditions that require frequent monitoring
▪ Some important points to consider:

Issuing a 12-month prescription comes with an agreement that you must attend at least once per year for a medication review, to check if your medication and/or dosage is still suitable.

Even with a 12-month prescription you cannot collect 12-months’ worth of your medication at once—medicines can still only be collected in 3-month instalments.

All instalments throughout the 12-month period must be collected from the same pharmacy. A 12-month prescription cannot be split between different pharmacies.

Please see the links below for more information on the changes, and what this means for you.
🟢Health NZ’s Increasing Prescribing Lengths factsheet:https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/2025-05/Factsheet%20-%20Increasing%20prescribing%20lengths.pdf
🟢The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners FAQ:https://www.rnzcgp.org.nz/documents/650/12-month_prescription_changes_FAQs_FINAL_2.pdf

28/01/2026

📣 Dear patients, we're excited to announce that patients of The Doctors Silverstream, The Doctors Muritai + The Doctors Lower Hutt can now book Gender Affirming Medicine consultations with Dr AJ Eckert!

Dr Eckert has on 19 years' experience, including 11 years as a primary healthcare doctors specialising in LGBTQIA+ health, sexual health, and gender affirming healthcare services. This is a supportive, informed consent clinic, taking place at the Silverstream practice, for patients of all ages, identities, and gender expression.

Starting with an initial 60-minute consultation to discuss your individual needs and goals, Dr Eckert can help with:
🏳️‍⚧️ Hormone prescribing + monitoring for both binary and nonbinary people.
🏳️‍🌈 Micro-dosing and lower dose hormone therapy.
🏳️‍⚧️ Assistance with + referral for gender affirming procedures and surgeries.
🏳️‍🌈 Pre- and post-operative gender affirming exams.
🏳️‍⚧️ Pelvic exams + Pap smears.
🏳️‍🌈 PrEP + PEP prescribing.
🏳️‍⚧️ STI + HIV testing.

Currently, appointments for this clinic can only be booked via reception--if you are interested in making a booking, or have any questions, please give the team a call on (04) 527 7376.

Kind regards,
The Doctors Silverstream.