New Zealand GPs Take Fee Complaint to the Commerce Commission Amid Funding Concerns

GPs, who traditionally see themselves more as independent small business owners, have taken the unusal step of launching collective action.

A doctor checking a patient's blood pressure at the Temple Fortune Health Centre GP Practice near Golders Green, London, England, on July 29, 2024. Anthony Devlin/PA Wire

New Zealand General Practitioners have lodged a formal complaint against Health NZ with the Commerce Commission, seeking a critical review of the subsidy they are paid per patient.

The General Practice Owners Association describes the current contracts as “unfair,” and potentially “illegal,” raising concerns that they may be putting patients’ lives at risk.