Dr Carol Atmore has been appointed as the new medical director for WellSouth primary health network.

Atmore joins WellSouth from the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, where she has been a senior lecturer and Head of Department since August 2019.

A passionate advocate for health system change, she says it's the opportunity to help shape the government's planned health system reforms that's prompted her move.  

The Government announced recently it intends to scrap district health boards as part of a huge shake up of health services, replacing them with central agencies and local networks.

"This is the best opportunity in the last 20 years to improve the health system in New Zealand, she says.

"This includes better coordination of health services across the system, a strong role for primary health care, autonomy for Māori and improved equity of outcomes."

Dr Atmore, who takes up her new role beginning in July, has been a GP for over 25 years, and currently also works as a GP at Dunedin Health Centre. 

She has led whole of health system change on the West Coast, in her role as Chief Medical Officer for West Coast DHB, prior to moving to Dunedin in 2015. 

She has also held leadership roles at the South Island Health System level and national clinical director roles with the Ministry of Health, in bowel cancer (2009-2010) and long term conditions (2017-2018). 

She completed a PhD in rural health in 2019. Her research interests include health systems redesign, the role of generalism in health care, rural health and health care integration.

Dr Atmore says the plans for health system change are truly transformational. 

Of particular interest is the creation of 'locality networks'. 

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They are advisory forums of individuals and organisations, such as local health providers, councils, iwi and community groups, tasked with ensuring each area has the health services it needs.

"The ministers have set the direction of travel and there is an opportunity now to have an impact in how these changes will take shape in this region," Atmore says.

"There are really great people here, working in all parts of the health system – secondary, primary and community. 

"We have to break down barriers that prevent us from working together. We can all pitch in and create the future."

Dr Stephen Graham stepped down as medical director earlier this year to return to general practice and continues to work with WellSouth as a clinical advisor.

WellSouth chief executive Andrew Swanson-Dobbs says WellSouth and other stakeholders in the community have already begun discussing what health sector reforms – and locality networks, in particular - could look like in the Southern region.

"Carol has knowledge, experience and a broad perspective that the health system needs right now," Swanson-Dobbs says.

"Carol brings people together and has a vision and practical understanding of how we can move forward and better deliver health services all while keeping what is best for patients and whānau and our Māori communities as the focus of our work."

WellSouth chairman Dr Doug Hill agrees: "I have had the opportunity to work with Carol many times and couldn’t be more pleased that she is joining WellSouth.  

"She is energetic and has a strong track record of moving strategy into action. I look forward to working with her as WellSouth moves forward – particularly as we work with other agencies to formulate locality networks in Southern."