Civic Family Health Care

12/04/2026

🚧Important Notice: Temporary Changes to Parking and Traffic Flow 🚧

Dear Patients

We would like to inform you that maintenance work will be carried out on the public toilets located in the foyer and adjacent to our carpark. This essential work is estimated to take approximately four weeks to complete and has already commenced over the weekend.

During this time, patient parking availability and the flow of traffic in and out of the carpark will be affected. There may be periods of reduced access, congestion, or altered pedestrian pathways.

Patient Safety 🚸
Your safety is our priority. We kindly ask all patients and visitors to:
Take extra care when navigating the carpark and surrounding areas
Be alert for construction vehicles, workers, and temporary barriers
Allow additional time for arrival and departure where possible

Alternative Parking 🅿️
If parking onsite is limited, alternative parking is available across the road at Woolworths. Please ensure you park considerately and allow sufficient time to walk safely to the practice.

Council Carpark Time Limits ⏱️
For those using nearby council carparks, please be mindful of posted time limits, fees and parking restrictions, as these will continue to apply during the maintenance period. We recommend checking signage carefully to avoid the risk of parking infringements.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation while these improvements are completed. If you have any concerns or require assistance when attending your appointment, please speak with our reception team.

Regards,
Civic Family Health Care Team 💙

02/04/2026

Civic Family Health | Meet the Team | Tiffany Lee👩‍⚕️

Tiffany completed her General Practice training in Calgary, Canada in 2022. Since then, she has worked in general practice, maternity and newborn care, and women’s health in Canada before coming to Civic. She enjoys the variety that general practice offers as well as the opportunity to build relationships with patients. She has a particular passion for supporting women’s health and caring for infants and young families.

Outside of her clinical work, she is an avid adventurer who enjoys tramping, camping, skiing, and exploring beautiful Aotearoa New Zealand. She also loves food and a good book. She is excited to be part of the amazing team at Civic.

We are thrilled that Tiffany has come to call Blenheim home and joined the Civic Health Team for this coming year and she has appointments available now.

25/03/2026

From 1st April 2026 you are able to have the flu vaccine 💪

The flu vaccine is free for people at higher risk of getting very sick, including:
- people aged 65 years and over
- people aged 6 months and over who have a long-term medical condition like diabetes, asthma, or a heart condition
- pregnant people
- Tamariki (children) aged 4 years and under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness, or have a history of significant respiratory illness
- people with mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizoaffective disorder
- people who are currently accessing secondary or tertiary mental health and addiction services.
The funded flu vaccine for tamariki and adults (6 months of age and over) available in Aotearoa New Zealand is called Influvac Tetra.

Flu vaccination is available for $40 for those who do not meet the funded criteria above.

Call 035780199 to book appointments for yourself and your family today 🙂

11/03/2026

Happy World Kidney Day 2026 💚

Request a test next time you're in visiting your GP!

Tomorrow is World Kidney Day 2026💚

We’ll be in Dunedin and Hawke’s Bay tomorrow, and will continue testing across the country throughout the year - so keep an eye out for when we’re in your area.

https://www.loveyourkidneys.co.nz/

05/03/2026

Civic Family Health | Meet the Team | Claire Livingston 👩‍⚕️

Claire is our resident clinical pharmacist. She graduated with a Master of Pharmacy degree from the University of Manchester in 2004 and has worked in community and hospital pharmacy both here and in the UK before joining us in general practice at Civic. She has a Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy and has just completed her qualification to become a Pharmacist Prescriber.

Claire can assist you with medication optimisation and education of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, chronic kidney disease, gout, heart failure, asthma and COPD. Claire can also provide 3 and 6 monthly medication reviews and assist with weight loss medication as part of a wrap around service to support with lifestyle changes.

Claire is a very knowledgeable and caring clinician, and we love having her as part of our Civic team. When she's not at work Claire enjoys spending time with her family and being outside in the great New Zealand outdoors 🌿

04/02/2026

❤️ What happens in a heart check? ❤️

During a heart check, together with a nurse you will
estimate your risk of having a heart attack in the next five years,
and discuss options and choices to protect your heart.

Together with your nurse, you are likely to:

• discuss any family history of heart attack or stroke
• measure your blood pressure, height, weight and waist
circumference
• discuss blood test results
• talk about risk factors such as smoking, activity and diet.

Things you may like to think about
• What would your risk mean for you and your family? What would
it mean in a few years time?
• What does my doctor or nurse recommend as the best way for
me to lower my risk?
• What would I like to do to lower my risk?

Book your 1/2 price appointment today!

21/01/2026

How Civic Family Health Care can help you achieve some of the most common health care goals:

✔️ Self‑Care: Diet, Exercise & Sleep
Most people want to feel better day‑to‑day — more energy, better mood, and a routine that actually works for them.
Diet: building balanced, sustainable eating habits
Exercise: finding movement you enjoy and can stick with
Sleep: improving sleep patterns and creating a restful routine
Health Improvement Practitioner Sophie is available for one‑on‑one support, practical advice, and simple, achievable goals that lead to real, positive outcomes.

✔️ Weight Loss & Healthy Body Management
Weight loss is one of the most common goals, but it’s also one of the hardest to navigate alone.
Education around healthy eating and activity
Guidance on free community services
Support with medical weight‑loss options when appropriate
Clinical Pharmacist Claire can help you understand your options and build a safe, personalised plan that fits your lifestyle.

✔️ Quitting Smoking or Va**ng
A huge goal for long‑term health — and one that becomes much easier with the right support.
Free advice and coaching
Strategies to manage cravings and triggers
Connections to free community services that specialise in quitting
Health Coach Chris offers friendly, judgment‑free support to help you quit smoking or va**ng for good.

Feel free to call 03 5780199 and book an appointment - we have appointments with Sophie, Claire and Chris available now!

Civic Family Health Care

11/12/2025

Just a reminder to our patients that we are closed today from 3pm for the afternoon only. Our team will be back in the office on Monday morning. Here's a link to our website with options for afterhours care should you need it. Our phonelines will divert to Practice Plus who would be able to help with a virtual GP consult if needed. See our website for further details. T&C's apply

CIVIC has various healthcare options available to patient’s afterhours, weekends or if we are closed. If you are in need of healthcare when we are closed, please view the options below for further care.

07/12/2025

To all our patients. On Friday the 12th of December 2025, Civic will be closing a little earlier for the day only. We will back as normal on Monday morning the 15th December at 8.30am.
Please follow the link below to read our full newsletter regarding other options available to patients for the time being.

On Friday 12th of December 2025, CIVIC will be closing a little earlier as our team is taking a well-deserved break and celebrating the year that’s been, together.

22/10/2025

UPDATE. We are back up and running. Thank you for your understanding.

To all our patients. As you will be aware, all power is out in the top of the South. We are unable to see any patients at this stage until power resumes. Patients have been advised who would have attended the clinic this morning not to come to the practice and we will wait and see how the day progresses and decide from there onwards. We appreciate your patience and understanding while we ride this weather out. Stay safe out there. Thank you.

27/08/2025

To our valued patients,

We regret to inform you that we’ve had to make the difficult decision to increase our fees. We understand that many households are already struggling with the rising cost of living, and we acknowledge that this increase may make healthcare feel even more unaffordable and inequitable. It is never easy to make changes to our fees.

We want to be transparent with you about the reasons behind this decision. Like many practices and businesses, we are facing rising costs, and government funding has not kept pace—despite recent announcements of increased health funding. While these announcements are a step in the right direction, healthcare has been underfunded for many consecutive years, leaving budgets without adequate investment.

Please know that increasing our fees was a last resort and not a decision we have taken lightly. Your wellbeing remains our top priority, and we are committed to continuing to provide you with the best care possible.

We want to ensure we can continue to support you and your whānau with the healthcare you need. In some situations, we may have access to additional funding to assist patients needing extra support. This funding must be shared across our patient population and funding sources are limited and dependent on meeting certain criteria.

Please also note:
Payment is expected on the day of your consultation, with any additional services paid prior to leaving.
Overdue accounts will incur an administration fee of $10.00 per month.
We offer a range of payment options, including credit card, paywave, eftpos, online banking, cash and Poli Pay (link here) .

Our fee increase will take effect on the 1st September, and the new rates will be advised shortly. Our website will have the new updated fees displayed by the end the week. Visit our webpage here.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
Civic Family Health Care Team

12/06/2025

Kia Ora.
Please note that our internet is down at the practice this morning resulting in no phone lines. We are investigating this with relevant parties and hope to have this resolved shortly. Kindly bear with us. We appreciate your understanding. CIVIC team