July 2025 News
Full House for Men’s Health!
Honest conversations about men’s health were the focus as over 100 people, mostly men of all ages, gathered for the third session in the free community health series hosted by Ostend Medical Centre and Waiheke Health Trust.
The Men’s Health Night brought together an expert panel of clinicians who tackled everything during the session from prostate checks and heart health to mental wellbeing and erectile dysfunction in a relaxed, relatable discussion.
“This event showed how ready men are to engage when given the right environment and the opportunity to learn more about their health,” said Dr Orna McGinn. “The turnout was fantastic, the questions thoughtful, and the conversations much needed.”
If you couldn’t join us on the night, Orna has provided the following tips from the evening:
- Prevention is always better than cure. It is a great idea to come and have a check-up from age 45 to look at heart health. This will include a blood pressure check, blood tests to check cholesterol levels, and a chat about lifestyle and prostate health.
- Up to 40% of a GP’s caseload is mental health. We look after patients with anxiety, depression and other similar issues and we have a caring team at Ostend Medical Centre to help with support, including a Health Coach and Health Improvement Practitioner who are free to see. It is always better to talk.
- Erectile dysfunction can affect up to 50% of men over 50. It is common, treatable and important to discuss with your GP because it can indicate other issues which might need addressing.
Feedback on the night was overwhelmingly positive, with comments such as, “The panel’s humour helped me actually remember the medical stuff” and
“I feel more confident talking to my GP after this.”
Someone ended the night asking, “Can we do this again soon?”, so we’ve decided that the next free community session will focus on connectedness and mental health for men.
This will follow a similar format to the June session, with anonymous questions being answered to create a safe space for sensitive discussions to be had in public. As soon as the date is set, we’ll let you know and look forward to another standing room only crowd!
Many thanks to PlaceMakers Waiheke, Waiheke Golf Club, Babika’s Table, and the RSA, who sponsored the night’s prizes and provided such warm hospitality.
Steroid Injections Now Available
Dr Dawn Davis has brought her expertise with steroid injections to Ostend Medical Centre and is able to provide this service for our patients who have aching shoulders, knees, carpal tunnels, hips and elbows.
Steroid injections don’t cure conditions, but they can help to manage the painful symptoms of conditions such as arthritis, bursitis and tendonitis. If you think a steroid injection would help you with pain management, please call our reception team on 372 5005 to book a consultation with one of our GPs or Nurse Practitioner who can then refer you to Dr Davis if a steroid injection is recommended.
If an injection is suggested, you will be booked for a double appointment with Dr Davis at a cost of $250. If your treatment is covered by ACC, you will just be billed the ACC co-pay. We understand that many of our patients are currently having this service done by specialists in Auckland and we hope that this is another way we can help you to access high-quality, comprehensive healthcare right here on Waiheke!
Important Appointment Guidance
We know that medical appointments are valuable and that often patients ‘save up’ a list of concerns before calling us. However, our GPs and Nurse Practitioner can only effectively address one or two issues per appointment. This is so that we can provide clinically safe care.
Rushing through multiple issues can impact your safety, as important details may be overlooked. In addition, trying to manage multiple issues in one appointment will lead the clinician to run behind, which causes stress for them and for our other patients.
If you have more than one or two things to discuss, or if you would like extra time to discuss your concern, please ask reception for a double appointment when you call us. If you bring more than one or two things to an appointment, please don’t be offended when the clinician asks you to schedule an additional appointment.
We have worked hard to fully staff the clinic and to keep wait times low, so please don’t save up your list of concerns – instead call us today if you need to be seen. Following this guidance will help us provide you with safe and effective medical care – thank you!
It’s Not too Late – Flu and Covid Vaccines Still Recommended
Even if you missed our autumn flu clinic, it’s not too late to come in and get protected for this year’s flu season. We are recording large numbers of patients testing positive for influenza so want to remind you that a yearly flu vaccine is recommended for everyone over 6 months old and is free if you are aged 65 and over, if you are pregnant, and for lots of other people. For everyone else, Ostend Medical is providing flu vaccines for just $35, the same price as last year, to encourage our patients to protect themselves and our community.
We often hear from patients that they aren’t bothering with a flu jab because they know someone who caught the flu even after being immunised. While the flu vaccine does lower your risk of catching influenza, its most important role is ensuring that if you do catch the flu that your symptoms will be milder, your recovery will be quicker and that you will be able to stay out of the hospital.
With hundreds of New Zealanders dying from the flu each year, we can’t recommend protecting yourself and your whānau from this serious illness highly enough. Each year the flu vaccine is updated to make it as protective as possible so don’t delay – call 372 5005 to book your quick and easy appointment.
And feel free to ask us when you call if you’re also due for a COVID booster. Everyone 30 and over is eligible for a booster, along with pregnant people and young people who have a medical condition that increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
Planning Your Prescriptions
Like many other practices, Ostend Medical Centre will be giving our clinicians three days (72 hours) to issue prescriptions going forward, rather than the previous two days. Please plan your repeat prescription requests to fit this timeframe so that you don’t get caught short, especially around weekends and holidays. The regular script fee is not changing and will remain free for children under 14 and $20 for those 14 and up.
If you do need a prescription processed on the same day, the prescription fee for all ages remains $35. Thank you for your understanding and for being proactive in planning your healthcare.
Thank You to Our Generous Community
Waiheke Health Trust has two big shout outs for the month of July!
Firstly, we are very grateful to the sponsorship team at Sealink who have again provided Waiheke Health Trust with an annual budget to help disadvantaged patients get to hospital appointments. This funding is used to help patients travel to Auckland when they need to go by car, but are unable to avoid the cost of the vehicle ferry. Being able to travel comfortably in a vehicle can make a huge difference for our most unwell and elderly patients, and both our patients and the Health Trust send a big thank you to Sealink for providing this funding again this year.
And our other heroes of the month are Waiheke Bridge Club and 2020 Waiheke Bridge Club who are hosting their ‘Bridge an Island’ Charity Event to support Waiheke Health Trust on Sunday 17 August. Seasoned players, as well as those who just enjoy a hand of bridge with friends, are invited for friendly bridge, fun prizes and a delicious lunch at the Waiheke Retirement Village from 10am – 2pm on the day. If you’d like to sign up, or just learn more, you can visit https://2020waihekebridgeclub.co.nz/.
We wish all the players well and thank them and the clubs for choosing to support Waiheke Health Trust in such a fun and generous way!
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