11475 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

11475 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: What evidence, if any, was the claim made by Te Whatu Ora director of living well, Martin Hefford, that 20% of GP work could be undertaken by physiotherapists made based on?

Hon Dr Shane Reti: I am advised that Mr. Hefford was drawing from work published in the British Journal of General Practice which looked to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions presenting for consultation in general practice. While the research was not directly related to the diversion to alternate care options, my view is that the comments were intended to demonstrate how multi-disciplinary teams could be used as part of our primary care toolkit to support GPs in meeting overall patient demand for primary care services.