Facts about CHDs
• Every week 12 babies are born in
New Zealand with a congenital heart
defect.
• CHDs are approximately 4 times more
prevalent than childhood cancer.
• 70% of all heart surgery involves
stopping the heart.
• CHDs are the #1 cause of birth defect
related deaths (we lose 40-50 babies
to CHD a year).
• 60% of heart kids are now teenagers
and older.
• CHDs are New Zealand’s and every
other countries #1 birth defect.
• 60,000+ people are directly affected
by a heart kid in any given year, that’s
bigger than the population of Napier.
Heart Kids and their families face
lifelong challenges and Heart Kids NZ
is the only charity in NZ providing them
with crucial support services every step
of the way.
• Heart kid’s families are the #1 user of
Ronald MacDonald House.
• About 450 open heart surgeries are
performed on tiny hearts every year at
Starship.
• There are 40+ types of congenital
heart defects (CHDs).
If you want to make contact with
Heart Kids BOP:
Leanne Brooks, Family Support Worker:
phone 0800 126 745 or email leanne.
[email protected] or check out the
website http://www.heartkids.org.nz
From left Joshua 11 years, Dr Joshua Agnew, Alice 3 years, Jaymie 9 years
and Mackenzie 6 years (front right).
More medical students to train in BOP hospitals
More medical students are set to train in
Whakatāne and Tauranga hospitals next year
as part of a programme to attract and retain
health professionals in rural areas.
Med students secure jobs
The Bay of Plenty DHB’s Clinical School is fast
becoming a sought after posting for medical
students.
Currently the BOP Clinical School based at both hospitals
manages placements for 4th year and 6th year students.
From January 2017 this will be expanded to include a
group of 5th year medical students in a new regional/rural
programme.
Since 2012 the DHB has been accommodating
mainly University of Auckland medical students.
Initially ten 6th year medical students were based
here for the academic year. This year fifteen
6th year medical students have been training at
Tauranga Hospital and seven of those have been
offered Junior Doctor positions.
The new programme will see 18 University of Auckland fifth
year medical students spend 31 weeks in the Bay of Plenty
working alongside doctors in Tauranga and Whakatāne
hospitals as well as in the community. This will include time
in the Rural Health Interprofessional Programme based at
Whakatāne Hospital and with GPs in the area.
Tanushk Martyn is one of those taking up a Junior
Doctor position.
He’s a self-confessed Aucklander through and
through. Born and raised in the New Zealand’s
largest city, he’d never lived anywhere else until this
year.
Professor Peter Gilling says “What sets this programme
apart from others in big cities is that by working alongside
clinicians in Tauranga and Whakatāne hospitals the med
students are exposed to a broader range of patients and
conditions.”
As part of the placement, the medical students will spend
time with GPs in Whakatāne, as well as a day with the
nurse-led Eastern Bay of Plenty Hospice. They also have the
option of visiting one of the Eastern Bay’s large industrial
employers, spending time with the on-site occupational
nurse.
Professor Peter Gilling says “Potentially they can follow
the patient’s journey from the GP to the hospital and back. It’s
a valuable learning opportunity that’s not offered in the big
“Tauranga’s got a good reputation as a teaching
hospital. I’ve compared notes with my friends
who are training in other hospitals in the North
Island. They haven’t had anywhere near the level
of exposure to medicine and support as I’ve had
here.”
Medical students Tanushk Martyn and Megan Tozer who have
been offered Junior Doctor positions at Tauranga Hospital.
cities. The experience also provides exposure to working in rural
communities which has resulted in an increase of the number
of students applying for positions in the Bay of Plenty.”
“The hospital is big enough to provide a variety of
teaching opportunities, but small enough to make
me as a med student feel part of the team.”
The Clinical School is expected to offer 20
placements for 6th year medical students in 2018.
Study using melanoma drug Keytruda is now underway
A study into the effectiveness
of the melanoma drug Keytruda
(pembrolizumab) when given with
Epacadostat is underway at the
Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) based on
the Tauranga Hospital campus.
Pharmac agreed to fund the drug for
advanced melanoma patients from the
beginning of this month.
The Tauranga based Clinical Trials unit is
one of two sites in New Zealand selected
to conduct the research study which looks
at whether Keytruda is more effective
in preventing Melanoma progression
when given with another cancer drug,
Epacadostat, rather than on its own.
Currently six patients from the Bay of
Plenty are taking part in the study which
started in June. Eligible patients are
referred by their oncologists and their
progress is closely monitored.
The study will run for two years in Tauranga
and in Dunedin. The Clinical Trials Unit
has experienced significant growth since it
was established in 2009 with two staff. It
now has a team of 9 Research Nurses, a
Research Assistant and Research Manager.
Earlier this year it moved into a purpose
built facility at 850 Cameron Road.
The CTU is headed by Professor Peter
Gilling and undertakes clinical trials and
research for a variety of pharmaceutical and
device companies and research projects.
The majority of the trials are multi-centre,
international, pharmaceutical studies;
in the fields of oncology, rheumatology,
gastroenterology, respiratory, cardiology,
infectious diseases and original research.