PCHA responds to online GP funding debate
Primary and Community Health Aotearoa (PCHA) supports investment in services that improve access to care, including digital platforms like the new Online GP Care service.
However, the current debate around funding comparisons between telehealth and general practice risks narrowing the focus to per-consult subsidies, rather than addressing what really matters: the sustainability, equity, and strategic coherence of the broader primary and community care system.
“New Zealand’s health system needs a long-term, integrated investment strategy that acknowledges the full scope of primary and community care,” PCHA Board Chair Teresa Wall said.
“GP services are a vital part of community healthcare, but it does not operate in isolation and funding should also recognise Māori and Pacific providers, outreach services, mental health and addiction teams, aged care, community nursing, and others. These services deliver continuity, equity, and population-level outcomes that single-point transactions cannot replicate.”
PCHA emphasises:
Funding models should enable continuity of care, not fragment it.
Strategic planning must reflect the full range of primary and community providers, not just GP or urgent care models .
Investment should support collaboration across sectors and geographies, not competition.
New digital services must be integrated with local networks and population health objectives.
Telehealth has an important role to play in improving access. But its funding must align with broader health system goals, including reducing inequity, supporting complex care, and strengthening local relationships. Any funding mechanism that positions telehealth as a replacement rather than a complement to enrolled general practice and community services will create unintended consequences.
“This is not about opposing innovation — it’s about ensuring innovation is embedded in a well-funded, well-coordinated primary and community system. One-off funding for digital services must align with long-term strategies that strengthen, not fragment, the care New Zealanders receive,” Teresa said.
Looking Ahead – A System Under Strain
“New Zealand’s population is ageing, and pressure on the health system is only going to increase. We need a joined-up plan — not reactive funding decisions — to ensure that the services which provide trusted, continuous care are there for the long haul,” Teresa said.
Over the next 20 years, demographic change will significantly increase demand on the health system. New Zealand’s ageing population will require more complex, coordinated, and continuous care — much of it delivered in the community.
If we continue with reactive and ad hoc funding approaches, we risk underinvesting in the parts of the system that can most effectively manage this growing burden. Fragmented models, short-term contracting, and funding misalignment will undermine both workforce sustainability and patient outcomes.
PCHA calls for a long-term national strategy for primary and community care — one that supports a sustainable workforce, enables integrated models of care, and ensures that digital innovation enhances rather than disrupts local systems. The Online GP Care initiative must be part of a broader, joined-up response to access, equity, and health system resilience.