I am delighted to let you know that we have appointed the College's new Medical Director – Dr Luke Bradford.
Luke's starting date in this role will be Monday 17 April.
About Luke
Luke is based in Tauranga, working at 5th Avenue Family Practice which has an enrolled population of around 15,000 and is a HeathCare Home practice. It is also where he worked during his first year of GPEP training. Luke became a partner at the practice in 2013.
Luke trained in Southampton in the UK and moved to New Zealand with his then fiancée in 2008. Initially working in emergency medicine, he left the hospital system and travelled via urgent care to Hauora medicine where he worked at Ngati Kahu Hauora in Tauranga and was the GP for Matakana Island - even playing rugby for the Island.
A desire to help shape service delivery for patients and work with partners to better inform them of the value of general practice led Luke into governance and representative groups. In 2016, he became Chair of Western Bay of Plenty PHO for five years, and he also chaired the Primary Health Alliance.
In 2021 Luke became one of the Chief Medical Officers at BoP DHB and looked after the surgical services, child, women and family teams and primary care work as well as being clinical lead for COVID-19.
"As the health reforms develop, I have seen first-hand how vital it is that general practice is able to advocate clearly for itself given the vital role we play in people's lives and in the sustainability of the system.
"Work must be done to relieve a lot of the burden our workforce is under whilst striving to ensure first class general practice services are available to all New Zealanders in a timely and affordable manner whilst boosting our workforce numbers and resilience," says Luke.
Luke and his wife Diana, also a GP, have three children, and Luke and one of his sons are hiking Te Aroroa, New Zealand's Trail, in sections and will ultimately complete all 3,000kms covering the length of New Zealand.
Ahead of his starting date of Monday 17 April, Luke will be taking some annual leave and will not be contactable. Any messages or communications for Luke prior to this date can be sent to communications@rnzcgp.org.nz
Nāku noa, nā Lynne Hayman Chief ExecutiveThe Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners Level 4, 50 Customhouse Quay, Wellington 6011 PO Box 10440, 7 Waterloo Quay, Wellington 6140 Tel: +64 4 496 5999 | Fax: +64 4 496 5997 www.rnzcgp.org.nz
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