Primary Care Update 2025

Talk: Fungal nail infections

Fungal nail infections are common, and commonly misdiagnosed. The clinical presentation depends on the organism, age, and patient comorbidities. Examination should include all nails, surrounding skin, areas prone to fungal infection, and sometimes the whole integumentary. Nail dystrophy due to trauma, psoriasis, lichen planus will not respond to oral antifungals, so confirmation of the diagnosis by nail clippings and skin scrapings is essential before prescribing an oral antifungal. 

Bio: Amanda Oakley

Amanda Oakley is the senior Dermatologist of the Department of Dermatology at Te Whatu Ora Waikato. She is best known for DermNet New Zealand, the popular website, and for her research and publications in teledermatology and dermoscopy.

Talk: Latest on HIV, syphilis and BV

Rose will present an update on various topics, including current trends in HIV, the resurgence of syphilis in Aotearoa, and best practice approaches for managing bacterial vaginosis. 

Bio: Rose Forster

Rose is a sexual health physician at Auckland Sexual Health Service. She is the clinical advisor for sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections for Health NZ.

Talk: The HPO axis in amenorrhoea
Maritza will discuss the management of women presenting with amenorrhoea from an endocrine perspective. Case studies will be provided. 

Bio: Maritza Farrant

Maritza is an endocrinologist at Te Toka Tumai, Auckland and National Women's Hospital. After completing advanced training, Maritza moved to Seattle, WA and worked at the University of Washington (UW) in the area of male endocrinology and has coauthored publications in hormonal male contraception. She has a Master of Public Health from UW and also worked in a public health capacity in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic, and briefly in NZ after returning home.

Maritza has since developed a special interest in Women's Health and endocrinology. She is also interested in scientific communication and the translation of evidence-based medicine into good clinical practice. Maritza is a content reviewer for Women's Health. Research Review.

Talk: A guide to bloating: The trickiest and most avoided topic in all of gastro!

Cameron presents a practical approach to assess and manage bloating and distension with your patients. There are no accepted guidelines – so we’ll go from farts to FODMAPs and separate the gas from the hype to explain my approach and practical tips for GPs on what maybe the most challenging area of gastroenterology! 

Bio: Cameron Schauer

Cameron is a gastroenterologist working at North Shore and Waitakere Hospitals and in private practice at Waitemata Endoscopy. He is half German and half Chinese, was born in Japan, but grew up in Whangarei.

Cameron has a particular sub-specialist interest in endoscopy (gastroscopy and colonoscopy). In particular, early detection and endoscopic treatment of cancer, specifically screening and surveillance for oesophageal, gastric and colon cancer. He is a clinical lecturer at the University of Auckland. He is currently undertaking a PhD on testing, identification and treatment of H. pylori in primary care, and future directions of population based management.

Talk: New medicines and evidence for prescribing

In times when there are frequent new medicines and changes in practice, this is a 15-minute, rapid-fire update highlighting new medicines and evidence for prescribing.

Bio: Linda Bryant

MClinPharm, PhD, PGcert(prescribing) 

Linda is a pharmacist prescriber working at Newtown Union Health Service and Porirua Union and Community Health Service.

She is an Honorary Academic in the Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care at the University of Auckland and has over twenty year’s experience teaching postgraduate clinical pharmacy. 

Talk: Ancient life hacks for modern stressors

Tony shows how using simple life hacks can help patients with low mood and anxiety.

Bio: Tony Fernando

Tony is a psychiatrist and sleep specialist. He earned his medical degree from the University of the Philippines and completed his psychiatry and sleep training at the University of Pennsylvania. Throughout his career, he has received recognition for his work in medicine and education, including multiple teaching awards from the University of Auckland and an award from the President of the Philippines for his contributions to sleep medicine.

In 2015, he was honored with the Chair's award by the New Zealand Medical Association, the highest recognition given by the association to a doctor in New Zealand, for his work on physician well-being. In 2017, he had a unique experience when he received temporary ordination as a Buddhist monk in Myanmar. In 2021, he earned his PhD in the field of compassion in medicine at the University of Auckland.

Tony was actively involved in teaching mindfulness meditation and emotional balance to inmates at Mt Eden Correctional Facility. During the COVID-19 lockdown, he recorded guided meditations for use within the New Zealand prison system to support inmates in isolation.

His book, Life Hacks from the Buddha, published by HarperCollins was released in late 2024. 

Talk: Simple rules around ECGs in primary care

Guy will consider a few key questions and things to look for:

• When to do an ECG 
• Must-see abnormalities
• Using the ECG to augment a history and exam
• Pitfalls of ECG
• Not looking at the interpretation on the sheet – juxtaposed with the increasing accuracy of AI – thinking of the future. 

Bio: Guy Melrose

Guy is an urgent care physician who works clinically in Tauranga.  He is the Director of Professional Development for the Royal New Zealand College of Urgent Care and a Professional Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland within both the Department of General Practice and Primary Care and the Department of Anaesthesiology.

Talk: Prescribing at the end of life

Pip will cover common medications used for symptom management, the use of subcutaneous medication and deprescribing.

Bio: Pip Tuckey

Pip is a Palliative Medicine specialist working at Totara Hospice. Pip come from a General practice background, completing their fellowship in 2018, before moving on to palliative medicine training.

Talk: Runs on the Run - Traveller’s Diarrhoea

Practical strategies for prevention, self-management, and the returned traveller.

Bio: Danuta Amelung

Danuta is a Wellington-based specialist GP, travel doctor, and medical writer for the Goodfellow Unit. Her clinical interests include public health and digital health innovation. She is currently completing a Master of Science in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Talk: Sport & exercise medicine pearls for busy clinicians

 A collection of little tips and tricks to help deal with common sport and exercise problems seen in primary care

Bio: Dan Exeter

Dan is a Sport and Exercise Physician and Clinical Director at Axis. Dan has active research interests in the areas of injury prevention and cardiac screening of athletes. He is also interested in point-of-care ultrasound and performs ultrasound-guided procedures. Dan has been a Team Physician for Hawthorn Football Club in the AFL and is currently Medical Director for Athletics New Zealand.

Talk: Management of OSA

This session provides an integrated approach to managing obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in primary care. Learn how to identify and support patients using lifestyle interventions, mental health strategies, non-surgical treatments, and when to consider surgical options. Emphasis will be on practical tools and collaborative care pathways to improve patient outcomes through a multi-disciplinary model.

 Bio: Sumit Samant

Sumit is an ENT and sleep surgeon. Since getting his FRACS in ORL-HNS, he has focused his practice on nose, sinuses and sleep. He is the founder of Auckland Sleep, a multi-disciplinary clinic that offers multi-speciality holistic sleep health care. He is a consultant at Auckland City Hospital and ENT Associates. 

Talk: Gems: Four practice changing facts!

Bio: Bruce Arroll

Bruce spends two days per week in clinical practice working at the Calder Clinic at the City Mission 140 Hobson Street after being in Manurewa for 32 years. The rest of his time is spent at the Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care at the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland. His current research interest is in rapid non-drug treatments of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. He became the director of the Goodfellow Unit in 2014.

His current research interest is in rapid non-drug treatments of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.