Investing in the future of general practice

General practice is under sustained pressure from workforce shortages, an ageing ownership base, and increasing corporatisation.

Pegasus is stepping in as a social investor, not as a corporate owner, to help keep general practice locally owned and led, community-connected, and sustainable. This is about ensuring continuity of care and stability for the people and teams who make general practice work.

A central part of our practice ownership strategy is to provide co-ownership opportunities for clinical staff working within Pegasus-owned practices, supporting long-term stability and maintaining clinical leadership at the heart of general practice.

The goal is to protect local ownership, strengthen the general practice workforce, and maintain access to care.

By investing in practice ownership, Pegasus is creating an option for those considering succession that keeps decision-making local, ensures income stays in the community, and preserves the values that underpin general practice.

This model strengthens the whole ecosystem of general practice in Waitaha. Sustainable, locally owned practices contribute to system stability, continuity of patient care, and a stronger collective voice for general practice.

All practices benefit from a stable, well-supported network where good practice models and workforce development opportunities can be shared.

It is a social investment grounded in Pegasus’ charitable purpose. Pegasus reinvests surpluses to improve health outcomes and equity for our communities.

Owning practices ensures that income generated through care delivery stays within the health system, supporting patients, workforce development, and local innovation, rather than leaving the community.

This initiative is funded through returns from Pegasus’ commercial ventures and partnerships, separate from PHO funding and core services.

That distinction is deliberate: the PHO continues to focus on supporting all member practices, while the investment arm enables Pegasus to build long-term capacity and sustainability for the wider system.

Pegasus is partnering with Paenga Kupenga (representing Ngāi Tūāhūriri Rūnanga) through a Health–Iwi–Community model.

This model brings together the strengths of health, iwi, and community perspectives, ensuring decisions about practice ownership and operation are made in a way that reflects local priorities and shared accountability for outcomes.

No. Pegasus-owned practices are operationally and financially independent from the PHO. They will not receive preferential access to PHO funding or services.

The governance and management separation from Pegasus ensures fairness across the network and maintains confidence in Pegasus’ role as a neutral and supportive PHO partner.

Stable, locally owned practices are essential to achieving government health targets for access, prevention, and equitable outcomes.

By supporting continuity and capacity in general practice, this model helps maintain access to care, particularly where workforce shortages or ownership transitions could otherwise reduce availability. It’s a locally driven contribution to national goals.

This approach creates a succession pathway for practice owners approaching retirement and a career and ownership pathway for emerging clinical leaders.

The intent is to develop a clinical ownership model that preserves the clinical leadership that is essential to the strength and identity of general practice. In doing so, Pegasus aims to maintain locally led, community-connected care while supporting the next generation of general practice leadership.

Practice ownership is one part of Pegasus’ social investment strategy, alongside system-enabling initiatives like HealthOne, the N4 Health Accelerator, Whakarongorau Aotearoa, and Practice Plus.

Together, these investments are about building a sustainable, equitable primary care system that stays true to Pegasus’ purpose while adapting to the changing health landscape.

The details of the clinical ownership model are still being worked through in consultation with partners and the sector.

Pegasus is committed to ensuring clinicians and practice staff have genuine opportunities to participate in ownership, maintaining the clinical leadership that sits at the heart of general practice.

Yes. Pegasus will continue to support matchmaking and succession connections between clinicians and practice owners who are exploring future ownership options.

This work remains an important part of how we strengthen independently owned general practice across Waitaha. Pegasus’ will continue to connect people, share information, and support transitions that keep ownership local and sustainable.

The new practice ownership model simply adds another option for those who want or need a different pathway. Our commitment to helping independent practices remain viable, connected, and locally led remains unchanged.