Dr Rachel Mackie (Ngati Wai, Ngati Hine, Ngati Whatua) has been named as the new Chair of Te Akoranga a Māui, The Royal
New Zealand College of General Practitioners Māori representative group. Tokoroa GP Dr Jason Tuhoe (Hauraki, Ngā Puhi,
Ngāti Pikiao) has been named deputy chair.
Te Akorangi a Māui is the College’s Māori representative group made up of Māori GPs registrars and Fellows. Drs Mackie
and Tuhoe plan to continue the equity focus that the College has and build on that so that tikanga is valued, and
incorporated into general practices around Aotearoa New Zealand to create meaningful change and ensure that people can
visit their doctor in a way that is culturally safe.
Most recently the College has developed an Equity module, which Dr Mackie advised on, as part of its quality standards
for GP practices. The Equity module demonstrates how practices can work to improve health outcomes for Māori and other
underrepresented populations by being more targeted to individual and cultural needs that can make significant
differences to patient’s care.
Ensuring medical educators are embodying tikanga, cultural competency, and cultural safety is another important focus
for the group that Drs Mackie and Tuhoe will lead.
Dr Mackie, who is a clinical project lead working at Waitemata DHB, says, "my goal is to build on the work of the people
who’ve gone before us.
"In order for significant change to be made, we need to keep working on equity issues and providing leadership for how
that can work in all New Zealand general practices."
Drs Mackie and Tuhoe wish to tautoko the work of Dr Melanie Wi Repa, Dr Lily Fraser, and Dr Sue Crengle in supporting
them to their new positions.