Health Services We Fund

Primary Health Organisations (PHOs)

What is a Primary Health Organisation (PHO)?

A PHO is a new way of arranging health care in the community to make sure people get the first level health care they need. It's a group of health providers whose job it is to look after all the people enrolled with them. A PHO is a team of doctors, nurses and other health professionals (such as Māori health workers and health promotion workers) who are working with your community to give you and your family a better health service.

Already, most New Zealand general practices are part of a PHO. Ask your doctor or nurse if they are part of a PHO or if they are planning to join a PHO.

PHOs will give communities, iwi and enrolled people the opportunity to have their say about the services PHOs provide.

PHOs get a set amount of funding from the government to subsidise a range of health services. The funding is based on the numbers and characteristics (e.g. age, sex, ethnicity) of people enrolled with them. That funding pays for:

providing care and treatment when people are ill
helping people stay healthy
reaching out to those groups in their community who have poor health or who are missing out on primary health care.

Over time, the government is increasing funding to PHOs with the aim of reducing the cost of primary health care for everyone.

Published: 24-Apr-2007 | Website enquiries: Web Content Manager