Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Primary Health Organisation (PHO)? 
Primary Health Organisations (PHOs) are how the Government ensures that everyone has access to a general practitioner (GP) and a primary care practice. PHOs are local, non-profit organisation that coordinates and funds primary care through enrolled general practices. Te Whatu Ora's capitation funding for enrolled patients helps lower fees, supports prevention, screening and long-term care. 

What is Tāku Ako? 
Tāku Ako is Comprehensive Care’s online learning platform for general practice teams. It offers primary care relevant, self-paced courses across roles, tracks Continuing Professional Development hours and complete mandatory training.  

What is the Insights Portal? 
The Insights Portal is a secure practice dashboard for Comprehensive Care practices. It shows population health indicators and performance measures to guide improvement.  

What are Lifestyle Options at Comprehensive Care? 
Lifestyle Options provides brief mental health support for mild to moderate mental health needs for patients who are 18 or older living in the Waitemata region.  

What is CarePlus and who is eligible? 
Care plus funding supports patients to receive expanded, better-coordinated, lower-cost services from the general practice team. 

A general practice that is part of a PHO can enrol a patient in Care Plus if they are assessed by a doctor or nurse at the general practice as: 

• being able to benefit from intensive clinical management in primary health care (at least two hours of care from one or more members of the primary health care team over the following six months), and

• ​having two or more chronic health conditions, as long as each condition is one that:

  • is a significant disability or has a significant burden of morbidity, and 

  • creates a significant cost to the health system, and 

  • has agreed and objective diagnostic criteria, and 

  • requires continuity of care and where a primary health care team approach has an important role in management, or 

• requiring intensive clinical care because they: 

  • have a terminal illness (defined as someone who has advanced, progressive disease whose death is likely within 12 months), or 

  • ​have had two acute medical or mental health-related hospital admissions in the past 12 months (excluding surgical admissions), or 

  • have had six first-level service or similar primary health care visits in the past 12 months (including emergency department visits), or 

  • are on active review for elective services. 

Eligibility criteria: 

• Being able to benefit from intensive clinical management in primary health care (at least two hours of care from one or more members of the primary health care team over the following six months) 

• Having two or more chronic health conditions, as long as each condition is one that: 

  • Is a significant disability or has a significant burden of morbidity, and 

  • Creates a significant cost to the health system, and 

  • Has agreed and objective diagnostic criteria, and 

  • Requires continuity of care and where a primary health care team approach has an Important role in management

 
Who is SIA funding for? 
Services to Improve Access (SIA) targets people facing the greatest barriers to care, especially Māori, Pacific peoples, and communities in high-deprivation areas. It supports outreach, reduced-fee services, and other access enablers. 

I have a patient who was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Can I refer them to you? 
Yes. Refer to our free Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) programme. Dietitian and related supports are also available. Practices can refer via the CVD/Diabetes advanced form, or by emailing DSME@comprehensivecare.co.nz 

Where can I find the latest Immunisation Handbook? 
The current Immunisation Handbook is available on Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora and is updated regularly. Always use the latest online edition.