Kia ora and welcome to our website

Whanganui Regional Primary Health Organisation (WRPHO) was established in July 2003 and is registered as a charitable trust. There are 16 general practices under WRPHO, situated within the city and also based in the rural communities (GP Fee Schedule). As of 1 April 2011 our enrolled population totalled 58,083; of which 11,746 are Maori and Pasifika, 11,213 are non-Maori/PI that live in a Deprivation Five area; therefore forty-percent of the WRPHO enrolled population have known inequalities in health due to ethnicity or socio-economic status.

As a Primary Health Organisation (PHO) it is our role to provide essential primary health care services to those people who are enrolled with us. PHOs bring together doctors, nurses and other health professionals in the community to support the health needs of their enrolled populations. When your doctor decided to join a PHO you would have signed a consent form and become an ‘enrolled PHO patient’.

PHOs can now do more things to keep people healthy, by improving access to health services and connecting with people in the community who are missing out or have poor health. PHOs play a part in helping reduce acute demand pressure on hospitals by better managing chronic conditions and proactively supporting high need populations.

Wanganui Rural Practices Bulls Medical Centre (Bulls) Stewart St Surgery (Marton) McMahon Clinic (Waiouru) Taihape Health Ltd (Taihape) Waimarino Health Ltd (Raetihi)

Wanganui City Practices

• Aramoho Health Centre
• Wicksteed House Medical Centre
• Springvale Medical Centre
• Castlecliff Healthcare Ltd
• Quay Medical Centre
• St Johns Medical Centre
• Jabulani Medical Centre
• Whanganui Accident & Medical
• Gonville Health
• Dr John Moore
• Dr John Kay

General Practices enrolling (as at August 2011): Gonville Health, Stewart St Surgery, McMahon Clinic, Taihape Health Ltd, Waimarino Health Ltd

The organisation is led by a Governance Board, that includes elected urban and rural community, iwi, and general practitioner members, who support the governance decision making. A Clinical Goverance Group and Community Advisory Group are also well established.

WRPHO has over forty employees who are responsible for a wide range of clinical and administration activities and contracts. The administration base is located within the Wanganui Hospital grounds (entrance to the left of Gate 2) in Heads Road, Gonville. 

The benefits of belonging to WRPHO are cheaper fees when you see your GP and access to a range of free health services (requiring referral by your GP or Practice Nurse), e.g. PATHS (Providing Access To Health Solutions) Health Coordinator, counselling service, immunisation service, social workers, community health workers, diabetes support, pharmacist facilitators, chronic care nurses.

Through partnerships with a variety of health related organisations, WRPHO and general practice teams also support the wider community with health promotion and education programmes – good nutrition, smoking cessation, increased exercise and physical activity, and health screening are among the more prominent areas of focus. Working alongside other sectors of the community helps strengthen and support the positive health messages we are trying to get out there.

WRPHO are proud of the innovative and effective service options that have been developed within the organisation. Addressing inequalities in health status for Maori and Pacific Island people has been a key feature of service delivery.  Improving access to services has seen WRPHO drive the development of the Whanganui Accident & Medical clinic, which is located in the Wanganui Hospital next to the Emergency Department, as well as establish and maintain two other subsidiary companies – Gonville Health and Taihape Health Ltd.