Health NZ - Te Toka Tumai Auckland

Scabies is a tiny mite that causes a very big itch! There have been reports of scabies around recently, so it's important to know the signs and how to treat it properly.

The main symptom to look out for is an itchy rash that mostly affects the arms, legs and torso. Have one already? See your healthcare provider so they can check for scabies or other conditions.

If scabies is confirmed, it can be easily treated with these steps:

✅ Treat it with a cream to kill the mites (pharmacies may offer subsidised advice and treatment)

✅ Treat everyone in your household at the same time

✅ Treat clothing and bedding in a hot wash or dryer; or by freezing or bagging

✅ Vacuum carpets, mats and sofas

✅ Remember to treat car seats too.

To make sure you get rid of the scabies mites completely, see more detailed info on how to treat them: http://spr.ly/6181BDeps9

Not every sniffle needs a cancellation 🤧

Moderate illness, like a cold, runny nose, or mild fever, is usually not a reason to delay childhood immunisations. If you're unsure, give your vaccinator a call before cancelling. Staying on schedule helps keep children protected from preventable diseases 💙

Nadene didn’t set out to become a volunteer. Her journey began during one of the most difficult moments a family can face – when her mum was brought into Middlemore Hospital’s Emergency Department.

“It was an overwhelming time,” Nadene recalls. “But what stood out to me was not just how well my Mum was cared for, but how we were cared for too.”

While doctors and nurses worked tirelessly, it was the volunteers who quietly filled the gap – offering reassurance, kindness, and presence when it was needed most. “They treated me with such respect and compassion. They listened, they checked in, and they made sure I wasn’t alone.”

That experience stayed with her. She remembers thinking, ‘I would love to do something like that’. Then one day, Nadene took the leap. “I finally enquired about becoming a volunteer, and before I knew it, I was one.”

Now, eight and a half years later, Nadene reflects on the role with gratitude and pride. What began as a moment of vulnerability beside her mother’s hospital bed has grown into years of service, connection, and care – an enduring example of compassion in action.

Thank you to all our amazing volunteers.

If you see or suspect illegal to***co sales, report it. Visit: www.healthnz.govt.nz/TellUs

Helping children breathe: Starship pioneer receives knighthood. For Sir Paul Andrew Baker, a lifetime spent caring for children has always been guided by one simple goal - helping them breathe safely.

The former Starship paediatric anaesthetist received the news of his Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to health far from home in London. He’s there with his wife
ahead of speaking to an airways workshop at Guy’s Hospital.

“We celebrated with family in London while the rest of our children and grandchildren celebrated in Auckland,” he says.

This moment has been many years in the making. It’s a journey that began in 1991, when Starship Children’s Hospital first opened its doors.

Over the next 30 years, Sir Paul helped shape paediatric anaesthesia in New Zealand, always focused on practical improvements: better equipment, safer oxygen use, and stronger recovery care.

“It was always about improving patient care in ways that made a real difference,” he says. “And it was incredibly rewarding to see those changes put into practice.”

But behind the clinical work is something more personal. A father of four and grandfather of seven, Sir Paul says being a parent helped him understand the fear families feel when a child is unwell.

“It gave me a deep appreciation of how parents experience those moments,” he reflects. “It helped me connect, not just with the children but with their whānau.”

Across thousands of cases, it’s the courage of children and their families that has stayed with him. One moment in particular stands out. He talks about a time when a baby was diagnosed before birth with a life-threatening airway condition. A team of 26 specialists came together to perform a rare and complex procedure, securing the baby’s airway while still connected to the placenta.

“That child is now a healthy young adult,” Sir Paul says. “It was a powerful reminder of what teamwork can achieve.”

Now, even having retired from Starship two years ago, his commitment hasn’t slowed.

He remains deeply optimistic about the future, pointing to advances in technology, education, and a nationwide network of airway specialists working together to improve patient safety.

Receiving a King’s Honour, he says, is not just a personal milestone. “I hope it shines a light on anaesthesia and airway management - areas that play such a vital role in patient care.” Congratulations 👏🎉🎉

We’re celebrating the new Manukau Health Park West Building theatre complex, which opened on Friday 29 May. The complex includes four new operating theatres, 18 post-anaesthesia recovery spaces and a new Central Sterile Services department.

This exciting development will mean more people in South Auckland can access the care they need, closer to home.

🎉🏥👏

Love this post and the work our people do, as well as the wonderful work from the Auckland Hospital Foundation 💚👍👏🎉

https://www.facebook.com/aucklandhospitalfoundation/posts/1482433490590675?ref=embed_post

There are only two clinicians in New Zealand who perform cardiac lead extraction. Both work at Auckland City Hospital. 🫀

We go behind the scenes with Dr Nigel Lever and Dr Andrew Martin — specialist cardiologists leading New Zealand's only cardiac lead extraction service — who share the nationwide impact of their work and where donations could make a real difference.

When a pacemaker or defibrillator develops an infection or fails, patients from across the country are referred to their team. Untreated, device-related infection carries a mortality risk of nearly 90%. With lead extraction, that drops to around 10–20%.

"The best part is the people and working with cardiologists across the country... Helping patients recover and improve is incredibly rewarding." – Dr Andrew Martin

If you've ever wondered what it takes to run a world-class cardiac service, or if you care about heart health in Aotearoa, have a read of this interview👇

https://tinyurl.com/ckcuj5ze

Health NZ - Te Toka Tumai Auckland

We’re proud to celebrate our nurses this International Nurses Day 💙 💚💓

Meet Karen…

"For nearly 35 years, I’ve worked in cancer care - supporting patients, leading teams, and helping bring oncology services closer to home.

A lot of my mahi has involved expanding cancer treatment across Tamaki Makaurau and, recently, helping establish the city’s first nurse‑led community oncology unit in west Auckland.

For many patients, getting into central Auckland can be quite hard. If treatment is 10 or 15 minutes from home, instead of hours away, that changes everything.

Closer to home care means people are more likely to be able to use our services, fewer missed appointments and more timely cancer care overall.

So much of this work is about connection - standing alongside patients and their whānau, offering care, reassurance and steadiness when things feel uncertain."

Every day that nurses show up to work, they make a difference. Thank you team.

👏To celebrate International Day of the Midwife celebrations this week, we meet one of our midwives from Counties Manukau in the Auckland region. Shekinah says being a Pasifika midwife brings an innate cultural perspective on worldviews and values to this amazing profession.

“I like how I’m building connections with, and serving, my Pasifika community. I have been a midwife for five years and as well as delivering babies safely, my highlights of being in this wonderful profession include serving my Pasifika birthing community by providing culturally competent care through partnership and advocacy. Additionally, working within a great team supports my practice and my aspirations. It is because of the leaders and collegial relationships in my professional world that I’m able to be a caring and competent midwife and I love what I do”. 🎉💓🤰🍼👶