Northland news in brief: Easier access to personal hospital documents; Whangārei Lions Club citrus success

Dr Andrew Miller showcases the online portal. Photo / Supplied

Northlanders with an active Manage My Health portal account will soon be able to view their hospital documents from the end of August online. These documents will include referral notifications, clinic letters and discharge summaries. Dr Di Davis, portal project lead for Te Whatu Ora – Te Tai Tokerau, said the initiative is optional for people. Manage My Health account holders will receive an email containing a link that recipients can click on to opt out. Dr Davis said transitioning away from mailing letters and other documents also avoids the risk of lost or delayed mail, healthcare providers having old addresses for patients, and people living across multiple locations.

Citrus welcomed in south

Fruit from Whangārei may be helping both physical and mental health in the South Island this winter. Clyde and District Lions Club project co-ordinator Kate Whyte told the Otago Daily Times that Whangārei’s Lions Club, and others, got about two tonnes of citrus fruit in its annual Citrus for the South collection which was transported for free by Mainfreight. Clyde and District Lions Club members got together and packed bags with various fruit including tangelos, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, and mandarins. Clyde residents over 65 were the target group for the gifts, an annual event that started about three years ago.

Kennel call

The Kerikeri SPCA urgently needs kennels to help provide shelter to animals under its care. Anyone able to help or donate unwanted kennels can call the centre on 09 407 7515,

Update your election details

Voters who haven’t received an enrolment update pack in the mail need to act now to make sure they are enrolled and ready to vote in the October election. Anyone who has not received an enrolment pack is either not enrolled or needs to update their details. Enrolling, or updating details, is easy and only takes five minutes online at vote.nz using a New Zealand driver licence, New Zealand passport or RealMe verified identity. People can also call 0800 36 76 56 to ask for an enrolment form to be sent to them. Voting starts in New Zealand on October 2 and closes at 7pm on election day on October 14.

School bus and car collide

Police are making inquiries into a crash between a school bus and a car on Tuesday morning in Waipū. Officers were called to the crash between the bus carrying Bream Bay College students and a car on Ormiston Rd around 7.45am. Bream Bay principal Julian Cosgrove said no one was injured and that students were taken from the scene to school using school vans.