We are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of negotiations between Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance (EBPHA) and several GP Practices, the collective referred to as GP Alliance (GPA), which includes Green Cross Health, Third Age, Poutiri Trust and Te Puna Ora o Mataatua. An agreement was signed on Friday, 21 March 2025 which focuses on strong partnership between EBPHA and GPA which we believe will strongly benefit the Te Moana-a-Toi/ Bay of Plenty community and specifically our general practices.
One of the GP Alliance members Wayne Woolrich, General Manager Green Cross Medical, shared his thoughts on the new partnership:
“Once implemented, this agreement will ensure as much investment as possible flows through to primary care delivering multiple benefits to general practice. This agreement represents a new way of working covering funding models, service design and shared responsibility for decision-making”.
The benefits of this new partnership include:
- Enhanced Collaboration: The partnership model promotes collaboration and integration across partners and providers, ensuring that local and regional knowledge is utilised effectively.
- Improved Health Outcomes: By prioritising primary care providers and community health providers, the partnership aims to achieve equitable and sustainable health outcomes across Te Moana-a-Toi / Bay of Plenty.
- Innovative Approaches: The agreement introduces new ways of working, including early intervention, faster treatment, and better support to reduce hospital admissions.
- Shared Responsibility: The partnership model between general practice and EBPHA ensures shared responsibility for governance, decision-making, and strategic oversight of funding delivery to primary care and other healthcare providers.
With the agreement now signed with GPA, we can look ahead to implementation. We can focus our attention on our role and value as a PHO, to general practices under EBPHA, and, to other potential primary and community care partners.
We are in the process of developing a transition plan for those practices who will be joining the EBPHA whānau and what a new Board of Management will look like. We aim to meet with all our practices over the coming weeks whilst we work with Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora to ensure a smooth transition of GPA practices, whilst working with our existing practices to best serve our community.
More details will be shared over the next few months as we work together to implement this exciting new partnership.
Ngā mihi,
Katarina Gordon – Interim Chief Executive – Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance