Mataura medical centre has been aquired by Te Hau o Te Ora Partnered Primary Care Services, who say the agreement ensures primary care services in the Southland community

They say the change in leadership won’t create any changes for patients or to the practice team, including previous owner Dr Elaine Munro who will continue to see patients as usual.  

Te Hau o Te Ora Partnered Primary Care Service is a partnership between mana whenua groups Hokonui Rūnanga, Awarua Rūnaka, and WellSouth Primary Health Network.

The group was established in 2021 to create a primary care service in Invercargill, supporting unenrolled patients and whānau to have access to general practice care.

They say the purchase of the practice is to support the sustainability of primary healthcare services for patients in Mataura ,and to support the clinical team. 

The practice will continue to be known as Mataura Medical Centre and remain at the same location.

Te Hau o Te Ora will continue with plans to establish a primary care service in Invercargill, aimed at supporting unenrolled patients and whānau in the Invercargill area.

Dr Munro says the change in ownership will allow her to focus more in providing medical care to the residents of Matura. 

“Over recent years, the operational aspects of being both a practicing clinician and practice owner have become significant, and in some aspects, detracting from my primary passion as a family health practitioner,” she says. 

 “This represents an opportunity for me to focus wholly on providing care to our community and the support that Te Hau o Te Ora brings to the team, enables us to do this.”

Terry Nicholas, Manager of Hokonui Rūnanga, says the arrangement supports the sustainability of vital general practice services in a rural locality.

“This is the only general practice in the Mataura and with Elaine and the team wanting to stay on, we knew that Te Hau o Te Ora could provide the business and administrative support and help the Mataura team to dedicate themselves to delivering healthcare services to their community.” 

While Mataura Medical ownership transitions to Te Hau o Te Ora’s ownership, new enrolments will be current patients and residents new to Mataura only.