WellSouth Primary Health Network

What WellSouth Primary Health Network does

WellSouth Primary Health Network is a charitable trust and designated Primary Health Organisation (PHO) serving the Otago and Southland regions of Southern New Zealand, headquartered in Dunedin with regional offices in Invercargill and Alexandra. The organisation operates as a regional platform for primary healthcare, supporting general practices with data tools, workforce training, clinical resources, and government-funded programmes, while also delivering its own clinical services across long-term conditions management, mental health and wellbeing, falls and fracture prevention, clinical pharmacy, dietetics, immunisation, and telehealth.

The core technology foundation centres on Thalamus, a general practice data tool with dashboards that identify gaps in care and support quality improvement, integrated with HealthOne for clinical data management and connected to practice management systems across the region. The broader product portfolio includes the Health Care Home Continuous Improvement Toolkit, Comprehensive Primary and Community Care Teams (CPCT), Extended Primary Care (EPC), Fracture Liaison Service, Virtual GP Consults, and the Calderdale Framework workforce tool. WellSouth also maintains the Southern Primary Care Research Network (SPCRN), a Quality Improvement and Evaluation Hub, and equity-focused initiatives including the WellSouth Hardship Fund and Māori and Pacific health programmes.

WellSouth's revenue model is government-driven rather than commercial: it receives capitation and programme funding from Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora and does not directly charge patients for most services. The organisation's customers are general practices, Māori and Pacific health providers, and the broader communities of Otago and Southland, with priority populations including rural residents, people with long-term conditions, and individuals requiring mental health support. The go-to-market is sales-led through direct engagement with general practices, supported by workforce training events, digital communications, and community-based service delivery across the regional network.

Name

WellSouth Primary Health Network

Legal name

WellSouth Primary Health Network

Website

https://wellsouth.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

WellSouth Primary Health Network is a charitable trust and government-funded Primary Health Organisation serving Otago and Southland in New Zealand, supporting general practices and delivering clinical programmes, mental health, telehealth, and equity-focused community health services across the Southern region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Healthcare Services

NAICS

Ambulatory Health Care Services (621)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Primary Care Networks, Groups & MSOs (HLAFAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public/County Primary Care Clinics (HLAFAGAI)

Keywords

• Primary health network
• Primary care services
• Community health programmes
• Chronic disease management
• Mental health support

Headquarters

HQ city

Dunedin

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Health Funding: WellSouth is a government-funded Primary Health Organization receiving funding from Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora to deliver primary healthcare services, support general practices, and run various health programmes across Southern New Zealand.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WellSouth Primary Health Network is a government-funded Primary Health Organisation that supports general practices across Otago and Southland through programmes, training, data tools, and clinical resources, while also delivering its own direct clinical services including telehealth, long-term conditions management, mental health and wellbeing, immunisations, pharmacy, dietetics, and falls and fracture prevention. It advocates for primary care within the New Zealand health system with a documented equity focus on Māori, Pacific, rural, and disabled communities.

Product overview

WellSouth Primary Health Network is a Primary Health Organisation (PHO) serving Otago and Southland in New Zealand. The organisation operates as a platform of integrated health services rather than a single product, providing clinical programmes, data tools, workforce training, and community health initiatives. Key offerings include Thalamus (general practice data analytics), Virtual GP Consults (telehealth), Health Care Home (continuous improvement framework), Comprehensive Primary and Community Care Teams (CPCT), Extended Primary Care (EPC), Take Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD), Fracture Liaison Service, Clinical Pharmacist services, Primary Care Dietitians, Falls Prevention services, mental health programmes including Access and Choice and Books on Prescription, vaccination programmes, and workforce training via HealthLearn. The organisation also maintains a Quality Improvement and Evaluation Hub conducting research on its programmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Thalamus A general practice data tool with dashboards used by general practices across the Southern region to identify gaps in care and support quality improvement and clinical performance monitoring.
• Virtual GP Consults Telehealth service enabling patients to consult with general practitioners online for convenient access to primary care.
• Health Care Home Continuous Improvement Toolkit A framework and toolkit for general practices to implement continuous improvement methodologies including huddles, call management, patient portal, clinical triage, and data-driven improvement processes.
• Comprehensive Primary and Community Care Teams (CPCT) A Health New Zealand -funded initiative that aims to improve healthcare in the community by incorporating additional clinical roles with different skills to support long-term condition management and improve quality of care.
• Extended Primary Care (EPC) A primary care-based programme with two pathways: a rural stabilisation pathway for observation and management of patients awaiting ambulance transfer, and an acute care pathway enabling practices to manage acute conditions within primary care to reduce hospital admissions.
• Take Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) A free 2-hour peer group workshop delivered in community settings providing information and advice about diabetes, signs and symptoms, and complications from poorly controlled diabetes.
• Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) An ACC-funded secondary prevention service staffed by trained Fracture Liaison Coordinators that identifies individuals who have sustained fragility fractures and provides assessment and advice to minimise risk of subsequent fractures due to osteoporosis.
• WellSouth Quality Improvement and Evaluation Hub An evaluation hub that evaluates WellSouth's programmes and initiatives to ensure outcomes measurement, continuous improvement, and adaptation to clinical and patient community needs.
• Calderdale Framework An evidence-based workforce tool that supports staff to identify opportunities to skill share, standardise care, and increase efficiency through Clinical Task Instructions (CTIs) for Health Coaches.
• WellSouth Hardship Fund An equity initiative providing funding support to patients who might otherwise delay or miss care, reaching people with greatest need including Māori, Community Services Card holders, and those in high-deprivation areas.
• Access and Choice - Toku Oranga Mental health and wellbeing service providing access to talking therapies and support for individuals and families.
• Long-term Conditions Support - Toitu Takata Programmes supporting management of long-term conditions including asthma, cardiovascular disease, COPD, diabetes, gout, and care planning.
• Clinical Pharmacists and Pharmacist Prescribers Services providing clinical pharmacy support including office-based clinical pharmacists, population health pharmacists, and practice-based clinical pharmacists to improve medication safety and support patients.
• Primary Care Dietitians Dietetic services providing nutrition information, advice, and support for patients across Otago and Southland.
• Falls and Fracture Prevention Service Services including Fracture Liaison Service, Community Strength and Balance programmes, and In-Home Strength and Balance to prevent falls and fractures among at-risk populations.
• Books on Prescription (Read Yourself Well) A curated collection of books, apps, and podcasts prescribed for mental health and wellbeing covering topics including trauma, resilience, relationships, PTSD, OCD, neurodiversity, and physical health.
• HPV Vaccination Programme School-based vaccination programme providing HPV immunisation across Southland district schools.
• HealthLearn Access An online internet-based collection of educational content, information and resources for the health care community across the South Island.
• Southern Primary Care Research Network (SPCRN) A research network conducting primary care research with governance, operations, published works, and ongoing research examples.

Quantifiable outcome

• CPCT programme supported over 6,600 individuals in first year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Health New Zealand - Te Whatu OracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funding partner providing government funding for primary healthcare programmes including Extended Primary Care (EPC), Comprehensive Primary and Community Care Teams (CPCT), and various clinical services across Southern New Zealand.
• General Practices (Southern Region)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellSouth supports and partners with general practices across Otago and Southland to deliver improved primary healthcare, quality improvement initiatives, and clinical programmes.
• Māori ProviderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellSouth works with Māori providers to deliver culturally appropriate healthcare and address health inequities for Māori communities.
• Pacific ProviderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellSouth partners with Pacific providers to improve health outcomes and access for Pacific communities in the Southern region.
• University of CanterburyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellSouth Board Chair Prof Emma Wyeth is a Professor Māori Health at the University of Canterbury, enabling research collaboration on Māori health.
• Otago PolytechnicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellSouth Board member Kerry Adams is a principal lecturer at Otago Polytechnic School of Midwifery, enabling education and workforce development collaboration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pegasus Health (Charitable): Canterbury-based Primary Health Organisation supporting general practices and community health services in the South Island. Direct PHO peer with a near-identical mandate of supporting practices, running equity-focused programmes, and receiving Health NZ funding.
• ProCare: Largest Auckland-region PHO, providing practice support, clinical programmes, and equity initiatives to general practices. Closest comparable to WellSouth in operating model, though at materially larger scale.
• Auckland PHO: Auckland-based PHO supporting general practices with population-health programmes, clinical services, and equity initiatives. Same institutional model and funding base as WellSouth.
• Hauora Tairāwhiti: Tairāwhiti (Gisborne) PHO with a strong equity focus on Māori communities, delivering integrated primary-care programmes. Closely comparable to WellSouth's regional, equity-driven model.
• Whanganui Regional Health Network: Regional PHO serving the Whanganui district with practice support, equity programmes, and clinical services. Comparable regional-scale PHO focused on underserved and rural populations.
• Eastern BOP Primary Health Alliance: Bay of Plenty PHO supporting practices with clinical programmes, equity work, and population health. Another comparable regional PHO operating under the same Health NZ funding framework.
• Compass Health: Wellington-region PHO delivering practice support, clinical services, and population-health programmes to general practices. Same PHO model and funding structure as WellSouth.

Others

• Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC): New Zealand's no-fault accident insurer, which co-funds specific programmes such as WellSouth's Fracture Liaison Service. Relevant comparator for understanding NZ injury/primary-care funding mechanisms and partnership models.
• Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand: Government health entity that is WellSouth's primary funder and contract counterpart. Not a competitor, but the dominant counterparty shaping WellSouth's mandate and funding trajectory.

Regional players

• Western Primary Health Network (Australia): Australian Primary Health Network (PHN) — the Australian institutional analogue to NZ PHOs — commissioning primary-care services and supporting general practice in Western Melbourne. Different country but very similar intermediary role, funding model, and equity mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WellSouth1
• Facebookfacebook.com/WellSouthCommunity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WellSouth Primary Health Network