News


Summer Holidays 2023-24

Pohutukawa in bloom Tawhiti Rahi, Poor Knights Islands

Tarawera Medical Centre is only closed on the stat holidays over the holiday period. We are open the usual hours on;

Wednesday 27, Thursday 28 and Friday 30 December 2023

Wednesday 3, Thursday 4 and Friday 5 January 2024

Please request any repeat medication in advance to avoid a last minute rush.

The summer so far is looking better than the entire summer we didn’t have last year so remember to be sun smart, safe in the water and travel safely on the roads. Celebrate responsibly and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

We welcomed our new GP, Dr. Peter Reeves, in October and he is settling into the New Zealand system which is quite a change from the UK. Some of our patients have already met him and are giving us fantastic feedback on the care he is providing. It is great to have another hand on deck after a COVID winter extremely short staffed but we are still working through a huge backlog of work and appreciate your understanding.


Influenza Vaccination Clinics Reminder

Just a reminder that we will be continuing our ‘Flu vaccine clinics from 2:30-4:00pm this week from Tuesday to Friday. As usual these are outside PathLab.
A further reminder to those who are eligible for the new bivalent COVID booster to book in through bookmyvaccine. With 300 COVID related deaths already in 2023 maximising your protection is a positive step to reduce your risk and limit the load on an already overstretched health system.


Influenza Vaccinations 2023

It’s that time of the year again. Influenza Vaccinations are going to be available from Monday 3 April.

We will again be running afternoon clinics between 2:30 and 4pm outside the PathLab. This will be for adults only and needs no appointment. For eligible children please book in at the surgery

Vaccination is free for all eligible people.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA for FREE seasonal influenza vaccination in 2023:

  • Pregnant people (any trimester)
  • People aged 65 years older 
  • Māori and Pacific peoples aged 55 to 64 years
  • People aged 6 months to under 65 years with any of the medical conditions listed in this pdf
  • People under 65 years of age who have schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizoaffective disorder; OR are currently accessing secondary or tertiary mental health and addiction services
  • Children aged 6 months to 12 years inclusive      Note: For eligible tamariki who require two                                                                                      doses of the vaccine, both doses are funded.

COVID boosters would also be wise with winter looming. From 1 April an additional booster with the updated bivalent vaccine is available for those over 30 or who have higher risk of severe illness who have not had a booster of had a case of COVID in the past 6 months. These can be arranged via Book My Vaccine.