What's new on HealthInfo?

08 November

Patient surgical journey videos – Video telling you what to expect when you go into hospital for surgery. One version of the video is in English and one has Te Reo Māori subtitles.

07 November

About mental illness during & after pregnancy – Updated to include information about PADA.

07 November

Mental health professionals – A new page explaining what different types of mental health professionals do and how to find them.

18 October

Water labour and birth – A new page about water labour and birth in a birthing pool. Includes information about benefits and risks.

12 October

Helplines for mental health issues – A new page with a list of helplines for adults and young people who need help for mental help issues. The page is also formatted as a printable factsheet.

09 October

High cholesterol – Updated with new formatting and links.

09 October

Lactose intolerance – Minor updates to symptoms.

How to manage lactose intolerance – Inclusion of information about lactose-free yoghurt, and daily quantities of lactose.

05 October

Synacthen test – Updated, including changes to the procedure and contact details.

03 October

Breast cancer – This is a new section with comprehensive information about breast cancer including who's at risk, how it's diagnosed and how it's treated. It replaces the single links page that was there before.

20 September

Antibiotic-resistant infections – The section, which includes information about ESBL, MRSA and VRE, has been reviewed and updated.

25 July

Organ & tissue donation – A new page about organ and tissue donation, including information about deceased donations and living donations.

24 July

Update of the Allergies section, including substantial changes and reformatting.

13 July

As part of a major review, 30 infectious diseases pages have been updated.

12 July

Heart – This section has been reviewed and updated with changes to the following pages: Atrial fibrillation (AF), Heart murmurs & heart valve problems in adults, High blood pressure tests and diagnosis, Living with high blood pressure, and Infective endocarditis.

12 July

Tube feeding – A new section about tube feeding, or enteral feeding, where a special liquid formula (also called feed) goes through a feeding tube into your stomach or small intestine.

12 July

The Breastfeeding section has been updated with new information, and rewritten to make it easier to understand.

22 June

Notifiable diseases and hazard reporting – This is a new page about disease and hazard reporting. Health professionals are required by law to tell public health authorities about certain diseases, and injuries caused by certain substances.

22 June

Blood in the urine (haematuria) – Updates to wording around GP considering causes and test results.

19 June

Testicular & scrotal problems in boys – This section has been reviewed and updated with new pages about Sudden (acute) scrotum pain in boys, Hydrocele and Inguinal hernia in children.

19 June

Stroke – The section has been reviewed and updated with information about the causes of stroke and the prevention of stroke.

22 May

Physical health with a mental illness or addiction – A new section about taking care of your physical health when you have a mental illness or addiction problem.

17 May

Communication cards – A new page with links to communication cards in multiple languages. Patients and their families can use the cards to help communicate their needs, wants and concerns to hospital staff.

15 May

As part of a wider review of the Lungs section, the Spirometry and Legionnaires disease pages have been updated. There are also new pages about Lung fibrosis, Persistent cough and Sarcoidosis.

The Asthma in adults section has been updated and there is a new page about Asthma in pregnancy.

The COPD section has been updated.

9 May

Added information about the GoodSAM app to CPR for adults & children and CPR for babies. The Good SAM app can notify a person who knows how to perform CPR and use an AED that someone nearby needs their help.

Flu (influenza) and Flu (influenza) vaccinations – These pages have been updated with more information about flu symptoms and treatment.

Getting on with life after cancer treatment – A new page about getting on with life after you've had cancer treatment.

Chickenpox and Shingles – These pages have been updated to add more details, including information about chickenpox and shingles vaccinations.

Knee pain in adults – A new page about causes of knee pain, treatment options, and pain relief.

Knee injuries – A new page about knee pain, with a focus on diagnosis and recovery.

Pain relief for adults on discharge from hospital – A new page with advice about taking pain relief after being discharged from hospital following an operation or injury.

18 April

Medicinal cannabis (marijuana) – a new page about cannabis and cannabis-based products.

Raynaud syndrome – A new page about Raynaud syndrome, covering causes, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Winter wellness – Updated for winter 2018, with information about seasonal conditions, and tips to stay well over winter.

11 April

Multiple Sclerosis – The section has been expanded and updated with more information about what causes MS, and how it is diagnosed and treated.

6 April

Eating disorders – The section has been restructured and updated with current information.

3 April

Side effects of medicines – A new page about side effects of medicines and about how to report side effects.

23 March

About your stomach & bowel – A new page about the stomach & bowel, and how they digest food.

22 March

Mental illness during & after pregnancy – This new section has information about mental illnesses during and after pregnancy, including what you can do to help yourself and what treatments are available.

21 March

Nuclear Medicine – The section has been updated with more information about nuclear medicine including nuclear medicine imaging and nuclear medicine therapy.

12 March

Before & after hip & knee replacement surgery – updated page and added patient booklets about preparing for surgery.

14 February

As part of a revamp of the sections on How to gain weight and How to lose weight there are two new pages: Healthy eating to lose weight and Being active to lose weight. Other pages have been reviewed and updated.

07 February

Broken elbow in children – A new page about broken elbows in children including the common types of broken elbows and how they are treated.

19 January

Pigeon toes (intoeing) – A new page about pigeon toes (intoeing), where some young children walk with their feet turned inwards.

19 December

Cystoscopy – A new page about the cystoscopy test that allows doctors to look into your bladder. Broken bones – A new page with general information about different types of broken bones.

14 December

Pterygium and pinguecula – A new page about these common growths on the front of the eye. Kidney cancer – A new page about kidney cancer including symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.

14 November

Inherited cancer & BRCA genes – This new page explains how a genetic mutation makes some people more likely to get breast cancer, ovarian cancer, or prostate cancer, and who should be tested.

Rib injuries – A new page about rib injuries and how they're treated.

3 November

The Child health section has significantly updated. There is a new page about Cerebral palsy. Updated pages and sections include Asthma in children, Child development and growth, Constipation in children, Croup, Diarrhoea & vomiting in children, Headaches and migraines in children, Molluscum contagiosum, Puberty information for parents & caregivers, Safe sleeping for babies and Unsettled & crying babies.

31 October

End of life & palliative care – This section has been thoroughly updated, and now has information about Controlling symptoms in palliative care as well as Decisions about your life & treatment.

30 October

Several new pages have been added to the section on Choosing & using disability aids. They include advice about Bath boards, Bed levers, Chair & bed raisers, Perching stools, Shower stools, and more.

27 October

Videos about kidney disease – This new page has videos to help you understand what kidney disease is and how it's treated.

Iron & your child has been updated with current information and to make it easier to read. A new page with Iron-rich meal ideas for children has been added.

Brain injury & concussion has been updated and now includes a page on Head injuries in children and another on Preventing head injuries.

GPs – This page explains what GPs do and how they can help you.

Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B have been updated with more up-to-date treatment about these diseases, who is at risk, how to prevent them, and how they are treated.

25 October

Cervical cancer – This new page gives brief information about the causes and symptoms of cervical cancer, and links to more detailed information.

19 October

Long Term Conditions Mental Health Programme – A new page about funded appointments with GPs to improve the physical health of people with mental health and addiction problems.

18 October

Just in time for summer, we've updated the section on Summer safety, with up-to-date information about sun-smart behaviour and keeping well outdoors.

6 October

The Women's health section has been updated, with several new pages, including About women's bodies and a new section on Pelvic pain.

5 October

Intravenous iron – A new page explaining how to prepare for intravenous iron treatment, how the treatment happens, and possible side effects.

4 October

Recovery after a ruptured Achilles tendon – this page outlines the week-by-week stages of recovery after you have ruptured an Achilles tendon.

Foot ulcers – A new page about foot ulcers, including why they occur, what you can do to heal them, and what treatment is available.

Ulnar nerve compression – This new section explains what ulnar nerve compression is, how to minimise the discomfort it causes and, if you need surgery, what it involves.

The section on Dupuytren contracture has been updated, and now includes a page about recovery after surgery.

3 October

An update to the Immunisation section has made it easier to find what immunisations you need at different stages of your life. There are pages specifically for Immunisations before your baby, Childhood vaccinations, Immunisation for older children, and Adult immunisations.

15 September

Pressure injuries – This page has been updated and expanded with information about preventing and treating pressure injuries.

De Quervain's tenosynovitis – A new section explaining this painful wrist condition and how it is treated.

14 September

Trigger thumb – A new section explaining this relatively common condition that affects babies and young children.

13 September

Common shoulder problems – This new section includes pages on several common shoulder problems, including Painful shoulders, Stiff shoulders, Unstable shoulders & dislocations, and Weak shoulders. It also includes a page of Exercises for your shoulders.

Carbohydrates, fats, & protein – Information about these three major food groups, why we need them, how much we need, and what foods they are in.

12 September

The travel page has been updated with information about getting advice before travelling, getting vaccinated, and taking precautions against insect bites.

8 September

Social workers – A new page about social workers, including what they do and how to find them.

Slipped upper femoral epiphysis – A new page explaining this condition, which affects children, and how it is treated.

Scoliosis in children – This new section explains the different types of scoliosis, when it needs treatment, and what that treatment is.

Broken forearm (adults) – New pages explaining what happens when you break your radius or ulna, and how this is treated.

Acute plans – This new page has information about acute plans including who might benefit from one and how to get one.

Asbestos – A new page about asbestos and its potential harmful effects.

Video swallow studies – Pages about video swallow studies for adults and children.

Broken lower leg (fractured tibia or fibula) – Two new pages explaining what happens if you break one of the bones in your lower leg, and how it is treated.

Broken elbow – Information about what happens if you break your elbow, and how it is treated.

7 September

Immunosuppression – These pages explain the care you need to take with your health if you are taking medicines that weaken your immune system.

8 August

The How to become smokefree section has been updated, with new information on Smoking in pregnancy and Smoking information for youth & teens.

25 July

Steps to reduce your cancer risk – this new page lists 11 things you can do to lower your risk of getting cancer.