Four Finalists, Four Wins: Tāmaki Health Celebrates Success at the 2026 New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards
Tāmaki Health has been recognised with four prestigious awards at the 2026 New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards | He Tohu Mauri Ora, celebrating excellence in mental health services, health equity, digital healthcare and primary care innovation.
It was an incredible night for Tāmaki Health, taking home all four awards we were finalists for at one of New Zealand's leading primary healthcare events.
Hosted by The Health Media, the awards brought together more than 600 healthcare professionals and leaders from across Aotearoa New Zealand. With over 150 entries, 44 finalists and 22 award categories, achieving four wins is a significant milestone for our teams and the communities we serve.
Each award recognises a different area of healthcare excellence, but they all reflect our shared commitment to making healthcare more accessible, connected and responsive to the needs of patients and whānau.
Celebrating Our Four Award-Winning Healthcare Initiatives
1. HALEO Best Mental Health Programme or Service – Wellness Support Team
Access to timely and effective mental health support is essential to improving wellbeing across New Zealand.
Our Wellness Support Team was developed to address the "missing middle": people who need more mental health support than their GP can provide but may not meet the criteria for specialist mental health services.
By integrating mental health services directly into familiar GP clinics, the team makes it easier for patients to access the right support, at the right time.
With a multidisciplinary team of 90 professionals, including health improvement practitioners, health coaches, psychologists, psychiatrists and pharmacists, the service offers everything from brief interventions to longer-term therapy.
In 2025 alone, the Wellness Support Team supported 20,338 people, delivering services including youth wellbeing programmes, ADHD assessments and ongoing mental health care following specialist treatment.
The judges recognised the programme's impressive reach and its measurable impact on improving patient outcomes.
2. reCare Mana Taurite (Equity) Service Delivery – Kia Korowai, Wellness Support Team
Improving health equity means removing barriers that prevent people from accessing the care they need.
Kia Korowai, meaning "to cloak", is an innovative, trauma-informed service designed to make ACC-funded therapy more accessible for survivors of sexual harm.
Through Kia Korowai, patients can be referred directly by their GP or clinician without completing complex ACC paperwork or having to share their full story at the beginning of their journey.
Patients are supported by a dedicated coordinator throughout their care and can access therapy within familiar healthcare settings.
The programme has already received 194 referrals and supported 57 patients, with Māori accounting for 44% of referrals and Pacific peoples representing 22%.
By creating a safe, supportive and culturally responsive pathway to mental health care, Kia Korowai is helping more people access services that may previously have felt out of reach.
Judges praised the programme's innovative approach to improving access to trauma support and addressing inequities in healthcare.
3. reCare Health Improvement Practitioner (HIP) of the Year – Amanda Harris
Congratulations to Amanda Harris, recognised for her outstanding leadership and contribution to mental health care in New Zealand's primary healthcare sector.
Amanda developed Skills Before Pills, an initiative that helps patients experiencing everyday life challenges access practical mental health support before medication is considered, where clinically appropriate.
At Pukekohe Family Health Care, the initiative saw antidepressant prescriptions decrease from 112 in January to 32 in May.
Beyond this programme, Amanda has helped develop support pathways for patients navigating ADHD, menopause and diabetes-related mental health challenges.
As a clinical lead across 38 Tāmaki Health clinics, she also provides training, mentoring and professional support to more than 50 health improvement practitioners and health coaches.
The judges highlighted Amanda's significant contribution to improving mental health outcomes and strengthening the wider primary healthcare workforce.
4. Spark Health Excellence in Information Technology or Telehealth – Tāmaki Health Services
Digital innovation is transforming the way primary healthcare is delivered, helping clinicians provide more connected, proactive and efficient patient care.
Across Tāmaki Health's GP and urgent care clinics, a shared electronic patient record allows clinicians to access relevant patient information and support continuity of care.
Our digital health team has built on this connected system to introduce smart technology that helps identify opportunities for preventive care and reduce administrative barriers.
Key achievements include:
More than 1.2 million patient reminders sent since 2025 for important healthcare services, including immunisations and breast screening.
Over 400 clinicians using AI-powered clinical documentation tools, helping reduce administrative work and create more time for patient interactions.
Automated appointment bookings and reminders, contributing to reductions in missed appointments of up to 10%.
Proactive preventive healthcare, with digital systems helping clinicians identify when family members may be due for vaccinations or other important health checks.
The judges were particularly impressed by the scale of implementation and the impact of these digital healthcare solutions across Tāmaki Health clinics.
A Shared Achievement Across Our Healthcare Communities
While these four awards were presented to Tāmaki Health, the recognition belongs to the many people and organisations working together to improve healthcare across New Zealand.
We are incredibly proud of our dedicated teams, whose passion, innovation and commitment to patient-centred care make achievements like these possible.
We also acknowledge the ongoing support of our funders, Health New Zealand and ACC, alongside Total Healthcare PHO and our Christchurch PHO partners.
Our success is also made possible by the healthcare professionals, community organisations and partners who work alongside us every day to create more connected and accessible health services.
Most importantly, we thank the thousands of patients and whānau who place their trust in our care.
Seeing people improve their wellbeing, strengthen connections and take positive steps towards healthier lives remains our greatest measure of success.
Continuing to Improve Primary Healthcare in New Zealand
These four awards represent more than recognition of our achievements. They reflect our ongoing commitment to building a healthcare system that puts people and communities first.
From integrated mental health services and equitable access to trauma support to digital healthcare innovation and preventive care, we will continue finding ways to make quality healthcare more accessible for all New Zealanders.
Congratulations to everyone involved in these achievements. This recognition celebrates the incredible mahi happening across Tāmaki Health and the positive difference our people make every day.
