Full Circle Medical

28/10/2025

14/10/2025

All women in NZ are eligible for funded breastscreening from the age of 45 to 69 (though there is now a phased roll out bringing it up to the age of 74). You can now self register for this service (used to just be done by your health centre). So, if you have recently turned 45 or are over this age but have never had a mammogram, click on the link below where you can register online.

Information about enrolling patients aged 45-69 in BreastScreen Aotearoa, the national free breast screening programme in New Zealand.

08/10/2025

Dr Morrison will be on leave this Friday (10/10/25) and the office will be closed during his absence.

If you require Dr care or a consultation during this time the following options are available;

Emergencies - 111
Urgent Care Options: Medicross 06 7598915
Healthline 0800 611 116
Ka Ora Telecare (offer GP Consult) - 0800 252 672 (children under 14 free) www.kaora.co.nz - Check website for further details regarding time availability and pricing
Practice Plus (offer GP Consult) - 0800 7722 7587 www.practiceplus.nz - Check website for further details regarding time availability and pricing
For Southern Cross members, you can download their app on your phone and book appointments with an organisation called Care HQ

If you have any questions/enquiries regarding this, please contact Kat or Briar in the office - 7567227 or email fullcirclemedical12@gmail.com.

Regards
Kat

Same day virtual GP appointments to suit you and your whānau. We help connect you with trusted medical care quickly, as an extension to your regular medical centre team and GP.

15/09/2025

Some interesting reading from Asthma New Zealand about Va**ng.

Va**ng and Youth



Va**ng - what we know, what we don’t know and why it matters

Va**ng is often advertised as a 'safer' alternative to smoking, but the reality is more complicated.

Because v**es (aka e-ci******es) are not regulated, meaning no one is checking what's really in them, the quality and safety of v**e ingredients vary. Many v**es contain harmful chemicals like:
• Formaldehyde (used to preserve dead bodies)
• Acrolein (poison used in w**d killers)
• Petrol by-products (chemicals also found in gasoline)
• Heavy metals (like lead, nickel and cadmium)

These substances are known to:
• Damage lung tissue
• Increase breathing difficulties
• Raise the risk of long-term respiratory issues such as COPD and cancer.

The truth is, we don’t yet know the full dangers of va**ng, just as we didn’t understand the risks of smoking until decades later. But early research already shows that va**ng can stress and damage cells and DNA, and some low-quality v**es may pose similar risks to cigarette smoking.

Ni****ne, often found in v**e liquid, is highly addictive. A single drop of v**e juice can contain as much ni****ne as a pack of ci******es, making quitting harder and increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and poor brain development - especially in Rangatahi.

The safest choice for you, your whānau, and your patients is still not to v**e or smoke at all.

Free Ni****ne Replacement Therapy (NRT) and quitting support are available to help you make the change.

If you would like support to quit smoking or va**ng, see your GP or nurse today or click here

Test your knowledge of va**ng and find out more information by visiting Don’t get sucked in

03/09/2025

Hi all. Found this pic on facebook so thought I'd share as it makes sense to me! Take care of your wellness - make good food choices and exercise a little most days (even if it's just a few squats or chair sits or walking on the spot - even dancing around the house!!) Hopefully little changes in a daily routine will help health improve & we don't recall you too much for follow up appointments😉🙂

11/08/2025

Have a family member with Alzheimers/Dementia and would like to know a bit more about it and support that is out there, then consider attending this Open Day.

05/08/2025

Hahaha - a bit of good social media work by Health NZ!!😂. On a more serious note though, there is a lot of Covid, Influenza B and RSV in the Inglewood Community at present. If your child is sick & you aren't sure whether to see a Dr, the first thing you can do is a test that you can purchase at the local pharmacy. It is called a 4-in-1 test and will test for all the virus's listed above as well as Influenza A. Each test kit is $10 and we have found them very accurate. Handy to have one in the cupboard.

You (or maybe your kids) love a Labubu, but no one wants a Lafluflu! 🤧

Both might be viral, but only one is cute. Here’s how to help keep the flu at bay this season:

🧼 Wash your hands often with soap and water (sanitiser works in a pinch).
🤧 Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue - or your elbow - when you cough or sneeze.
🧽 Clean high-touch surfaces regularly and crack open a window now and then for fresh air.
🍎 Eat well, move your body, and get plenty of sleep - your immune system will thank you.
🏡 Feeling unwell? Stay home if you can, to help stop the spread. (We know it’s not always easy.)

28/07/2025

Please note info from Medicross below. From 2pm each day there is now no charge for children Under 14. It used to only be free from 6pm but this has been brought forward. Handy to know if we are full and can't fit your Tamariki into an appointment. Before 2pm it is $50

💙 Free Urgent Care for Kids Under 14 right here at MediCross Urgent Care & GP Centre.

📅Monday to Friday*:
🕑 2pm – 8pm • 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘
🕗 8am – 2pm • $50

🌞 Weekends & Public Holidays*:
​🕗 8am – 8pm • 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘

📍 Walk in anytime — enrolled or not
👧🧒 Because access matters for every tamariki 💙

07/07/2025

Check out this page for classes in Taranaki that may interest you. These are designed for our older population to help them with strength and mobility to help prevent falls and fractures.

Find a class near you - to help you improve your strength and balance, prevent falls, and keep fit and healthy. Follow these steps.

01/07/2025

This is a handy initiative in New Plymouth https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BpeCoMXoL/

Introducing Our New Walk-In Injury Clinic ⚡

We’re excited to introduce the latest addition to our services at New Plymouth Physiotherapy: the Premium Walk-In Injury Clinic - an accessible, expert-led offering designed to support you when the unexpected happens.

From rolled ankles to sports sprains, this new service is built around one simple promise: no waiting rooms. Just expert care, when you need it.

Launching today, the clinic will be open Monday to Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm - no appointment or referral needed. You can simply come in and be seen by one of our experienced physiotherapists. It’s a seamless way to get the help you need, when you need it. Throughout July, there is no surcharge for school-aged children. ⚡

30/06/2025

This information is from another GP office, but is most relevant to us and our patients also. Please take the time to read - it's a bit long but applicable!

WINTER ILLS ARE HERE

Winter is here and as we know coughs, colds and flus are extremely common. We are seeing many people with colds and influenza. It means we have very few appointments available for semi-urgent or routine care, as we have to make more appointments available for flus. Coughs, colds and flus are usually caused by VIRAL infections of the nose & upper airways, and they affect most adults 2-4 times per year, kids 5-6 times and those in preschool up to 12 times a year!
Wearing a mask when you are in indoor spaces can help reduce the odds of you catching a virus from someone else.

IF YOU GET A COUGH, COLD OR FLU:
• Stay at home
* Do a Flu/RSV/Covid test (4-in-1 test) these can be purchased at your local pharmacy

SYMPTOMS of COUGH, COLD or FLU
https://healthify.nz/health-a-z/c/cold-the-flu-or-covid-19
• Blocked or runny nose (yellow or green snot is common, and green snot does not need antibiotics)
• Sneezing
• Feeling generally unwell, tired, headache and achy muscles
• Fever
• Cough (dry or productive). Having a cough does not mean that it has 'gone to your chest' or that you necessarily need antibiotics
• Sore throat. If you are at risk of Strep throat (see https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/health.../s/strep-throat/) please contact us for advice.
Symptoms are typically at their worst for 2-3 days and then gradually clear. However, the cough may carry on after the infection has gone and last for 2-4 weeks as the inflammation gradually settles.

HOW TO FEEL BETTER:
• Have plenty to drink, rest and stopping smoking and drinking alcohol if applicable!
• Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain
• Salt (saline) nose drops for babies & vapour rubs for kids and adults can help with nasal congestion in some cases. Older kids and adults can use Otrivin for a few days to ease blocked noses
• Some people find other over the counter cough remedies from the pharmacy can help them manage their symptoms (note there is no evidence that these help particularly); please always discuss safe use with pharmacy
• Honey before bed can ease a cough a little
• If you need pharmacy medications please send someone who is well to get them for you. Sick people need to stay home so they don't spread their infection to others
Antibiotics do not get rid of colds and your immune system usually clears the infection. In some cases antibiotics are needed; such as for those with underlying lung disease.

WHEN TO WORRY:
Symptoms to consider contacting us about include;
• Wheezing or breathlessness (including if symptoms don't respond to your normal inhalers if you use these)
• Severe headaches, especially if associated with vomiting, a stiff neck, a rash or difficulty looking at bright light
• Chest pain
• Coughing up blood (or if sputum dark or rusty-coloured)
• Becoming drowsy or confused
• Fever lasting more than five days. Or a fever that goes and then comes back
• Dehydration (not passing urine regularly)
• Cough persisting for longer than 3-4 weeks
• If you have a child that has gone downhill and you are worried, please call and speak to a nurse
We are always happy to provide advice and see sick people when needed. If you are unsure, please call and speak to a nurse for help.

VACCINATION:
• It's not too late to get a flu vaccine!.
https://www.health.govt.nz/.../flu.../getting-flu-jab
Cold, the flu or COVID-19? | Healthify