Your GP (or doctor) or Nurse Practitioner is usually your main provider of health care. He or she should be your first point of contact for any concerns you have about your arthritis or other health issues. Your GP or Nurse Practitioner can help you coordinate your overall health care, including making referrals to specialists and health professionals if needed. Your GP may also have a practice nurse. A practice nurse can provide information and coordinate your care with the other members of your healthcare team.

Your GP or Nurse Practitioner is an important partner in helping you to manage your rheumatoid arthritis. They will probably make the initial diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and should then refer you to a rheumatologist.

Once your rheumatoid arthritis is fully assessed, your GP or Nurse Practitioner will see you regularly to check on your treatment and progress.

Nurse Practitioners have the legal ability to be sole providers of care for patients in New Zealand and is a role that was first introduced in this country in 2000. Thousands of patients are registered under Nurse Practitioners as sole providers and will not see a GP in primary care.

The Nurse Practitioner is also the most senior clinical nurse in the health care system in this country and there are at least 300 of these health professionals working across New Zealand in urban, rural and remote locations. They are also able to provide care that is culturally appropriate and specific for Māori patients, while also working with Pacific health providers. 

Some Nurse Practitioners own their own private primary care practice in New Zealand. These types of practices are located in regions such as Auckland, the West Coast and Southland which do not have GPs employed in their business.