Monday Pānui 11 August 2025

In today’s Pānui	Smoking and Vaping Guidelines New Police Vetting Request Form & Issues with Processing Non-Clinical Staff Health NZ Library Resources for Primary Care Auckland PHO October Resuscitation Sessions
Smoking & Vaping Guidelines	Wondering how to code patients who vape, use e-cigarettes, or use heat-not-burn tobacco products? Auckland PHO has created a guideline on how to code individuals who smoke or vape within the PMS. This document outlines the appropriate codes to use within the PMS system and supports consistent and accurate data entry for smoking and vaping status. This guideline can also be found on the Auckland PHO Resource Library, under Forms, HR and Support (password: aucklandpho).
New Police Vetting Request Form & Issues with Processing Non-Clinical Staff	New Police Vetting Request Forms The latest version of the Police Vetting Request & Consent Form is now available on the New Zealand Police website. Practices may begin using the new form now. To support a smooth transition, the NZ Police vetting service will continue to accept the current version of the form (published July 2023) until 31 December 2025 or otherwise notified.  There is also a new request form for staff who have recently returned from residing in Australia.  Both forms can also be found on the Auckland PHO Resource Library, under Forms, HR and Support (password: aucklandpho). Auckland PHO is an approved agency and continues to provide a lodging service to any practice requiring assistance with submitting vetting applications. Issues with Processing Non-Clinical Staff The NZ Police vetting service have recently changed the vetting criteria for processing non-clinical staff (currently identified as receptionists only). As a result, vetting applications for these roles are now being rejected and closed. Auckland PHO is currently seeking clarification on current legislative requirements for non-clinical staff and will provide an update in due course. If your practice conducts its own police vetting and has experienced issues processing non-clinical staff, please contact Emma Pickles -  emma@aucklandpho.co.nz
Health NZ Library Resources for Primary Care	Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora Library and Knowledge Services are pleased to announce the launch of an important new service for the Primary Care community - Library resources for Primary Care. What’s available?Free, 24/7 login access to a range of high-quality online library resources for Primary Care, including: BMJ Best Practice Cochrane Library ProQuest Health Premium Collection: Medical, Nursing & Allied, Psychology, Public Health multi-media databases and eBook collection. Oxford Journals and eBooks John Murtagh’s collection How do you login? An OpenAthens account will give you full access. Register here. To help the approval of your application, if possible:   register using your work email address   register from your workplace If you need any help, you can contact their team here. For more information, see this guide.
Auckland PHO October Resuscitation Sessions	Auckland PHO October Resuscitation Courses: Level 3 CPR Skills Date & Time: Tuesday 14 October, 6PM – 8PM For Admin/ Reception/ HCAs/ Practice Managers/ HIPs Level 4 Immediate Responder Date & Time: Wednesday 15 October, 6PM - 9PM For RNs / Vaccinators Level 5 ACLS Assessed Advanced Responder Date & Time: Saturday 18 October, 8AM - 2.30PM (lunch provided) For GPs – 6 hours as per RNZCGP 2025 guidelines; Nurse Practitioners – 4 hours To book a place on any of these courses, please complete and submit the following form:  https://forms.office.com/r/rPeDb6KmTf For any queries, please contact Emma Pickles - emma@aucklandpho.co.nzPlease note, practice staff who are eligible for Auckland PHO funded CPR/ACLS courses are: All administration staff from the time of employment at an Auckland PHO practice. Clinical staff who have worked at a practice for at least 6 months. Clinical staff who have worked at a practice for less than 6 months, locums and temporary staff are not eligible for Auckland PHO funded resuscitation courses but may choose to attend an Auckland PHO course where there is space and will be charged for their attendance. Please see Auckland PHO’s Learning and Development Information here.

Barbara Stevens | Tumu Whakarae / CEO