GP Grahame Jelley recognised for more than 30 years of dedication to rural health

Dr Grahame Jelley was named as the 2021 recipient of the Peter Snow Memorial Award at the National Rural Health Conference in Taupō last week. Photo / File

A former Bay of Plenty GP, who now works in Kerikeri, has been recognised for more than 30 years of dedication to rural health and his commitment to advancing Māori health outcomes.

Dr Grahame Jelley was named as the 2021 recipient of the Peter Snow Memorial Award at the National Rural Health Conference in Taupō last week.

The award acknowledges an individual for their outstanding contribution to rural health either in service, innovation or health research.

"Grahame's dedication to rural practices and his commitment and support to advancing and enabling Māori health outcomes are what make him a very deserving recipient of the 2021 Peter Snow Memorial Award," the NZ Rural General Practice Network said in a statement.

New Zealand Rural General Practice Network board chairwoman Dr Fiona Bolden said: "I've worked with Grahame during my career as a GP and from my experience, he is an incredibly kind and genuine person and is very deserving of this award."

After completing training at the University of Cape Town in South Africa in 1983, Jelley worked in the mission hospital service, regional rural hospital service and in solo general practice in Zimbabwe.

Jelley then moved to New Zealand in 2000 and began working as a GP at Buller Hospital in 2004.

He then moved to the Bay of Plenty where he spent 12 years working as a GP in Ōhope and Whakatāne.

Jelley had been actively involved with the Eastern Bay of Plenty PHO and Primary Health Alliance and worked as a clinical advisor to planning and funding at Bay of Plenty DHB.

He had also spent some time working as a volunteer GP in the Cook Islands at Aitutaki Base Hospital.

Now based in Kerikeri, Jelley splits his time between general practice and clinical leadership with Te Tai Tokerau PHO.

During his career, Jelley had been an active supporter and mentor for aspiring Nurse Practitioners in the Bay of Plenty and Te Tai Tokerau.

He worked closely with the late Janet Mahoney, who was the first Māori Nurse Practitioner. Along with rural health, Jelley had a special interest in te ao Māori.

The Peter Snow Memorial Award was set up to honour the life and work of Dr Peter Snow who died in March 2006.

Snow was a rural general practitioner based in Tapanui.

His work contributed to the identification of chronic fatigue syndrome and he was influential in raising safety awareness on issues related to farming accidents.