The General Practice Owners Association (GenPro) says the official launch of thePHO on 1 July is a significant milestone for primary healthcare in New Zealand.

Launching with 69 general practices, 485,000 enrolled patients and operating across 18 of New Zealand's 19 Health New Zealand districts, thePHO becomes the country's second-largest primary health organisation from day one.

GenPro Chair Dr Angus Chambers said the scale of the launch reflected strong support from practices for a simpler, more efficient PHO model focused on improving patient care.

"The launch of thePHO is a significant milestone for primary care. Beginning operations with almost half a million enrolled patients demonstrates there’s strong demand for a PHO that’s lean, nationally consistent and focused on supporting front-line healthcare."

GenPro sponsored the establishment of thePHO because it aligns with the association's vision of sustainable, high-quality and accessible general practice. It operates independently of GenPro, allowing the association to continue advocating on behalf of general practice owners without any conflict of interest.

"GenPro remains the independent voice of general practice. ThePHO has its own governance and leadership, while we continue to advocate for better funding, less bureaucracy and a stronger primary care system."

Dr Chambers said thePHO had been established to address long-standing concerns about the
current PHO model, including excessive administration, complex governance arrangements and funding that doesn’t always reach front-line services. Primary health organisations act as the link between Health New Zealand, which funds primary healthcare, and providers such as general practices.

"General practice is under enormous pressure. Every dollar unnecessarily absorbed by administration is a dollar not invested in patient care. ThePHO will keep overheads low, reduce duplication and support practices to deliver the best possible care for their communities."

Operating across 18 Health New Zealand districts gives thePHO a national footprint, enabling sharing of best practice, less variation, and more consistent support to practices across the country.

"Launching with 69 practices and 485,000 enrolled patients provides a strong foundation for the future. We believe this model will help strengthen general practice by allowing clinicians and practice teams to spend less time navigating bureaucracy and more time caring for patients."