Scope of Practice, Services & Limitations

I am a fully qualified medical doctor registered in New Zealand. My practice has a particular focus on integrative, functional and lifestyle medicine, alongside appropriate conventional medical care.

With your consent, I may also incorporate hypnotherapy, mindfulness and other mind-body techniques where I believe these may be helpful.

Some services available through general practice are not provided at ZIVIO Health. These include vaccinations, national screening programme services, procedures involving bodily fluids, procedures requiring a chaperone, WINZ forms and ACC sensitive claim services.

Yes. I do not replace your regular GP.

I strongly encourage you to remain enrolled with a publicly funded general practice for routine, urgent and after-hours care, and for access to services I do not provide.

I do not provide urgent or after-hours medical care.

If you require urgent medical attention, please contact your usual healthcare provider or an urgent care service. In an emergency, call 111.

Working with me is a collaborative process. I encourage you to participate actively in decisions about your care and in implementing agreed treatment plans.

I place particular emphasis on modifiable factors such as nutrition, sleep, stress, movement and other aspects of lifestyle. Conventional and complementary investigations and treatments may also be considered where appropriate.

I do not see conventional and complementary medicine as competing approaches. Both can offer real value when used appropriately.

Where investigations or treatments are recommended, I will provide relevant information to support informed decision-making. This may include expected costs, duration or frequency of treatment, relevant monitoring, potential benefits and risks, reasonable alternatives, and the principles behind a proposed approach where appropriate.

You always have the right to decline any investigation or treatment offered.

I may also decline to provide an investigation, treatment, prescription or other service that I consider medically, professionally or ethically inappropriate.

Yes. With your consent, I may use approaches such as talking therapies, mindfulness, meditation, hypnotherapy, breathwork, or other mind-body and somatic techniques where appropriate.

Herbal medicines, nutritional supplements and other natural products may be discussed where appropriate.

These products are generally purchased privately through third-party providers and are not subsidised in the same way as funded prescription medicines. Their quality, evidence base and regulatory oversight vary between products.

Some investigations used within functional and integrative medicine are not part of standard conventional medical practice and are not publicly funded.

Where I consider these, I will discuss their purpose, limitations and likely clinical usefulness with you. Testing is performed by external providers and is paid for privately.

Some costs may be eligible for reimbursement through private health insurance. I encourage you to check directly with your insurer.

Yes. Where appropriate, I may refer you to other health professionals or for further investigation or treatment within the public or private health system. 

Healthcare is inherently individual and outcomes cannot be guaranteed.

My recommendations are based on the information available to me at the time and may change as new information becomes available or your circumstances change.

I am a registered medical practitioner in New Zealand and do not provide medical services outside my area of registration.

My educational programmes and resources are available internationally but do not constitute individual medical care.

Care Pathways provide a structured period of ongoing care, allowing us time to understand your health concerns, investigate where appropriate, develop and adjust your treatment plan, and review your progress over time.

Care Pathways are offered at set prices, which are published here. The services included, payment arrangements, and any pathway-specific terms will be mutually agreed upon before you commence a pathway.

Care Pathways are by invitation following a Care Planning Consultation and mutual agreement that we are a good fit to work together.

If no spaces are currently available, you can join the waitlist here to be notified when new Care Pathways open.

If you are on the waitlist, you will be invited to book a Care Planning Consultation when a Care Pathway space becomes available.

This is a 30-minute consultation costing NZD $195, payable at the time of booking. It gives us an opportunity to discuss your health concerns, what you hope to achieve, and whether my approach and a Care Pathway are appropriate for your needs.

If we mutually agree that we are a good fit to work together, I will recommend the most appropriate Care Pathway and explain the next steps, fees and payment options before you decide whether to proceed. If you join a Care Pathway, the $195 consultation fee will be deducted from the Care Pathway price.

Yes. Flexible payment plans are available for Care Pathways and include an administration fee.  

All fees and payment arrangements will be clearly outlined and mutually agreed upon before you commence your Care Pathway. You can request current Care Pathway fees at any time through the ZIVIO Health contact form.

A buy-now-pay-later option is available through Klarna for Care Pathways and Care Consultations.

ZIVIO Health does not have direct agreements with health insurance providers.

However, some policies may cover part or all of the cost of consultations, investigations or other services. Please check directly with your insurer to confirm your eligibility and level of cover.

The specific services included in your Care Pathway will be agreed before you commence.

Each Care Pathway includes a predetermined amount of consultation time, which can be used flexibly according to your needs over the agreed period of care. Consultations may be provided in person or virtually, depending on your needs and what is clinically appropriate.

Where appropriate, your Care Pathway may also include:

• detailed written consultation summaries and treatment plans
• monitoring such as blood pressure or continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)
• repeat prescriptions
• referral letters
• medical certificates and ACC accident forms
• communication and liaison with other healthcare providers involved in your care
• other agreed case-related professional work.

Care Pathway fees do not include the cost of laboratory tests, imaging, functional testing or other investigations, pharmacy charges, or fees charged by external healthcare providers. These costs are paid separately.

I am not currently able to assist with ACC sensitive claim registration or associated documentation, or with WINZ forms.

All new clients are accepted into ongoing care through Care Pathways only. My current clinical caseload is full, but you are welcome to join the waiting list here and you will be contacted when spaces for new Care Pathways become available.

If you are an existing client but are not currently enrolled in a Care Pathway, standalone consultations and other services may be available where appropriate. Repeat prescriptions, referral letters, medical certificates, ACC accident forms, professional correspondence and other case-related work are charged separately at the current applicable rate.

Repeat prescriptions requested outside a consultation are charged separately and must be paid for at the time of request.

Additional pharmacy charges may also apply. As ZIVIO Health is a private practice, prescription and dispensing costs may differ from those associated with publicly funded general practice.

Most case-related work is included in your Care Pathway. Occasionally, tasks requiring substantial additional time, such as extensive medical record reviews, court reports or other complex documentation, may incur an additional fee. I will let you know in advance if this applies. 

Your pathway includes a predetermined amount of consultation time rather than a fixed number of appointments. This allows us to use the available time flexibly, with the length, frequency and format of appointments adjusted according to your needs.

Appointments may be in person or virtual where clinically appropriate. They can be booked by yourself, or Nancy and I can arrange them for you. 

Care Pathways are designed to be used over an agreed period of time, with flexibility to accommodate your individual needs and progress. The expected timeframe for your particular pathway will be discussed and agreed before you commence, but I am generally pretty flexible about it.

Care Pathway fees do not include laboratory tests, imaging, functional testing or other investigations, pharmacy charges, supplements, or fees charged by external healthcare providers. These costs are paid separately.

Towards the end of your Care Pathway, we will review your progress and discuss what, if any, ongoing care would be helpful.

Depending on your needs, this may mean completing your care, commencing another Care Pathway, or moving to occasional standalone follow-up.

Absolutely. You can change between an in-person and virtual appointment at any time, where clinically appropriate. Just let us know your preference.

If you need to change the date or time, please give us as much notice as possible. Changes are subject to availability, but we will accommodate reasonable requests wherever possible, free of charge. 

Absolutely. You are welcome to send questions, updates or messages whenever it is convenient for you, including evenings and weekends. Care Pathways include appropriate clinical support and communication outside scheduled consultations.

However, please be aware that I work during normal business hours and do not routinely work weekends, so messages requiring my input may not be reviewed or answered until I am next working. Please also refer to my Holiday Policy here. 

Care Pathways are not an urgent or emergency service. If you need urgent medical attention, please contact your usual healthcare provider or an urgent care service, or call 111 in an emergency.

Care Pathways are not an urgent or emergency medical service. If you have an urgent concern, you are welcome to contact me and I will do my best to accommodate you, but this may not always be possible.

Messages are not continuously monitored. If you contact me outside normal working hours, I may not see your message until the next business day.

If you need urgent medical attention or cannot safely wait for a response, please seek appropriate medical care through your usual GP, an urgent care service or, in an emergency, call 111.

Yes. You can choose to stop participating in your Care Pathway at any time by providing written notice. However, Care Pathway fees are generally non-refundable, and withdrawing early does not automatically cancel any remaining payments under an agreed payment plan.

Full cancellation and payment terms are set out in the Care Pathway Agreement, which you will receive and have an opportunity to review before agreeing to commence a Care Pathway.

Yes. You may cancel within 7 days of enrolment, provided your initial consultation has not yet taken place.

Any refund during this period will be less a $50 administration fee and the cost of any work already undertaken or committed on your behalf.

Once your initial consultation has commenced, the Care Pathway becomes non-refundable.

Full details are provided in your Care Pathway Agreement before enrolment.

When you enrol, clinical capacity is reserved for you and work begins both within and outside your consultations. This includes clinical assessment and care planning, administration, programme resources, and ongoing access and support throughout your pathway.

For this reason, Care Pathway fees are non-refundable once care has commenced, and any agreed payment plan remains payable if you decide to withdraw early.

Yes. I recognise that illness, travel, family commitments and other significant circumstances can sometimes make it difficult to participate actively.

You can request to pause your Care Pathway for up to three months, unless we agree otherwise. During a pause, routine pathway services and support are suspended and the pathway timeframe is extended accordingly.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, an existing payment plan will continue during the pause. If you need clinical or other professional services while your pathway is paused, these may be charged separately at the standard rate.

In some circumstances, yes. A Care Pathway may be concluded if there has been no meaningful engagement for six months or more despite reasonable attempts to contact you, or if continuing care is no longer appropriate or feasible.

This may include situations where the therapeutic relationship has broken down, agreed payments are repeatedly missed, or abusive or inappropriate behaviour occurs.

Where appropriate, reasonable notice and recommendations for alternative sources of care will be provided.

Occasionally, services may need to be delayed, interrupted or changed because of circumstances outside ZIVIO Health's reasonable control, such as illness, family emergencies, natural disasters, technology failures or public health events.

Where this occurs, I will communicate with you and make reasonable arrangements for your care where possible.

These FAQs provide a general overview only. The full terms of engagement, scope and extent of services, payment arrangements, cancellations, refunds, pauses, early withdrawal and other important information are set out in the Care Pathway Agreement.

You will receive the complete agreement to review before commencing a Care Pathway, once we have mutually agreed that working together is appropriate.

Standalone consultations are available to existing clients who need occasional follow-up care outside a Care Pathway.

New clients are accepted into ongoing care through Care Pathways only.

Standalone consultations are charged at the current consultation rate published on the ZIVIO Health website, based on the clinical and non-clinical professional time involved.

ZIVIO Health is a private practice and does not receive government subsidies. Standalone consultations are currently charged at NZD $7.50 per minute, reflecting the professional time provided.

Any additional professional services required outside your consultation time are charged at the same rate, in addition to the consultation fee. These are outlined in the Additional Charges FAQ below. 

Where fee information published elsewhere differs, the current fees on the ZIVIO Health website will apply.

Professional work required outside your consultation is charged at the current professional rate. This may include, but is not limited to:

• detailed written consultation summaries and treatment plans
• clinical advice provided by phone or email
• referral letters and correspondence with GPs, specialists or other health professionals
• medical reports and other professional documentation
• extensive review of medical history, records or investigation results
• repeat prescriptions requested outside a consultation
• monitoring and review of blood tests, other investigations, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) input, home blood pressure or other clinical parameters.

Where practical, I will let you know in advance if significant additional work or charges are likely to be required.

 No. ZIVIO Health payment plans are reserved for Care Pathways. However, you can choose to pay through Klarna, which pays your fee in full and allows you to repay Klarna in four equal instalments. Klarna fees may apply and are outside ZIVIO Health's control. This has to be selected when  you are booking your appointment. 

ZIVIO Health does not have direct agreements with health insurance providers.

However, some policies may cover part or all of the cost of consultations, investigations or other services. Please check directly with your insurer to confirm your eligibility and level of cover.

The specific services included in your Care Pathway will be agreed before you commence.

Each Care Pathway includes a predetermined amount of consultation time, which can be used flexibly according to your needs over the agreed period of care. Consultations may be provided in person or virtually, depending on your needs and what is clinically appropriate.

Where appropriate, your Care Pathway may also include:

• detailed written consultation summaries and treatment plans
• monitoring such as blood pressure or continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)
• repeat prescriptions
• referral letters
• medical certificates and ACC accident forms
• communication and liaison with other healthcare providers involved in your care
• other agreed case-related professional work.

Care Pathway fees do not include the cost of laboratory tests, imaging, functional testing or other investigations, pharmacy charges, or fees charged by external healthcare providers. These costs are paid separately.

I am not currently able to assist with ACC sensitive claim registration or associated documentation, or with WINZ forms.

All new clients are accepted into ongoing care through Care Pathways only. My current clinical caseload is full, but you are welcome to join the waiting list here and you will be contacted when spaces for new Care Pathways become available.

If you are an existing client but are not currently enrolled in a Care Pathway, standalone consultations and other services may be available where appropriate. Repeat prescriptions, referral letters, medical certificates, ACC accident forms, professional correspondence and other case-related work are charged separately at the current applicable rate.

Repeat prescriptions requested outside a consultation are charged separately and must be paid for at the time of request.

Additional pharmacy charges may also apply. As ZIVIO Health is a private practice, prescription and dispensing costs may differ from those associated with publicly funded general practice.

Work undertaken outside scheduled consultation time is charged at the current applicable professional rate unless it is included in your Care Pathway or otherwise agreed.

Where practical, I will let you know before undertaking substantial additional work.

This may include:

• reviewing results, records or previous investigations
• case-specific research
• preparing referral letters, medical certificates or other professional correspondence
• responding to clinical questions by email or phone
• liaising with other health or wellbeing professionals involved in your care
• arranging or reviewing investigations.

If you need to reschedule or cancel an appointment, please contact ZIVIO Health as soon as possible.

The following terms apply to appointments not included within a Care Pathway (Standalone and Care Planning Consultations).  

Changing Between In-Person and Virtual Appointments

Changing an appointment between in-person and virtual is free, where clinically appropriate.

Rescheduling

• More than 72 hours' notice: no charge.
• Less than 72 hours' notice: $50 rescheduling fee.

The following applies to appointments not included in a Care Pathway.

Cancellations

• More than 72 hours' notice: a $50 cancellation fee applies and the remainder of your payment will be refunded.
• 24 to 72 hours' notice: 50% of the appointment fee will be refunded.
• Less than 24 hours' notice: no refund is available.

Rescheduling

• More than 72 hours' notice: no charge.
• Less than 72 hours' notice: a $50 rescheduling fee applies.

Refunds, less any applicable administration fee, will be returned to the original payment method and may take 5 to 10 business days to appear, depending on your financial institution.