An unexpected win
A trip to Queenstown is on the cards for the winners of the Matamata Business Association’s Passport promotion.
Graham Payze was the lucky winner of the competition, with a prize of $5000 worth of travel courtesy of Jo Anne Prevett Travel.
The promotion required shoppers to purchase items from participating businesses which were divided into four different categories – New World, Party Tree, Green Dragon and Bag End.
It was the brainchild of MBA members who wanted to keep with the Hobbit theme, following on from the release of the movie The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey and the opening of the Matamata i-SITE Gatehouse.
Graham collected his stamps by shopping at New World for groceries, O Del Emz for lunch, Unichem for his wife Chrissy’s medication and bought Christmas cards and a birthday card for his wife at Fraser’s Take Note.
Graham and Chrissy have decided to use their prize to travel around New Zealand towards the end of this year.
Their three children will fly to Queenstown where the Payze family will enjoy some quality family time together and then Graham and Chrissy will travel around New Zealand in their motorhome for about two months.
‘‘My wife had a dream that we crossed Cook Strait on the ferry 17 times,’’ Graham said.
‘‘We would like to thank the Matamata Business Association for providing this prize.
‘‘We are overwhelmed and so grateful.’’ Registered patients at Matamata Medical Centre are now enrolled with the Hauraki Primary Health Organisation Network.
The centre changed to the network from its previous primary health organisation (PHO) Midlands Health Network on January 1.
There are no changes to the service provided by the centre – fees are the same, patients will continue to see the same GP and referrals to specialists and Waikato Hospital are still in place.
Waikato Hospital remains the base hospital for any admissions.
The only change will come from the availability and allocation of funding to the centre.
Waikato District Health Board distributes government funding to Hauraki, Midlands and a third PHO, National Hauora Coalition.
This funding is then passed on to providers, to subsidise the cost of doctor fees and other types of care like free diabetes review visits.
Matamata Medical Centre practice manager Gillian Vincent said they hoped to have better access to funds available for primary health under Hauraki.
‘‘One of the main reasons for changing was Midlands Health has become a very big organisation.
‘‘Hauraki is much smaller and has more focus on rural areas.’’
Ms Vincent said the decision to move was made by the six principal GPs who own Matamata Medical Centre.
Under the smaller network, a Matamata doctor will have a position on the board of directors, meaning the centre will have more influence on how funding is allocated.
Plans to introduce Care Plus, a chronic care management programme aimed at improving care and lowering costs for highneed patients, is one result of the change.
Any patients who want to return to Midlands Health Network can do so by registering at a Midlands practice.
For more information ask your GP, go to health.govt.nz or request an information sheet from the medical centre.