A survey of 300 Kiwi doctors by the Medical Protection Society found half felt unable to take a break between procedures, and almost as many did not feel their wellbeing was a priority at work Read more

Dr O'Sullivan attributes a real turnaround in his life when he was accepted as a student at Hato Petera (St Peter's) College.

Expelled from two schools before thriving at Hato Petera, he went on to be Head Boy, sports champion and College Dux.

The support and encouragement he received at Hato Petera shaped his philosophy towards his patients.

However, Dr O'Sullivan also pays great tribute to his mother who raised her large family without the help of a man in the house.

She worked tirelessly to give her children the best possible start in life under often difficult circumstances. She still helps out with his work and his family, he said.

"Rob people of their self-belief and you deny them a bright future. I believed I couldn't be anything other than the naughty boy teachers perceived me to be. So I'll never turn a kid away and say he's a lost cause or a patient when people say he's just trouble," said Dr O'Sullivan.

O'Sullivan is married to Tracey and they have seven children.

He is honoured for his leadership, vision and advocacy in healthcare. His low-cost health clinic Te Kohanga Whakaora ("The Nest of Wellness") has made basic healthcare more accessible for people in the far north.

Source

• nzawards.org.nz
• catholicnetwork.org.nz
• Catholic Diocese of Auckland
• Image: The Northern Advocate

The Servants Health Centre is providing a valuable service with a team of volunteers including GPs and practice nurses volunteering their services for free.

GP and clinic founder John Arnold says the centre is operating at such a minimal deficit that one more GP volunteering could put it in the black.

The Servants Health centre evolved from a registered charitable trust formed in 2007 by a local group of Christian health professionals concerned about unequal access to care.

They started with a General Practitioner, a Specialist Surgeon and a Midwife/Counsellor and since then others have joined this group to volunteer their specialty services in order to provide health care to deprived people.

Source

• Galway Cook Allen
• NZ Doctor
• Image: NZ Doctor