Dr Lucy O'Hagan Photo: Diane Stoppard
The life of a general practitioner can be a stressful one. It's well known that New Zealand is in the middle of a GP shortage with thousands of people booking virtual consultations due to lengthy wait times or because they can't see a GP at all as clinics close their books to new patients.
Working in the midst of this is Dr Lucy O'Hagan - a Pākehā GP currently serving a predominately Māori and Pasifika community.
A doctor for over 35 years, Lucy has written a book about her time as a GP called Everything But the Medicine. The title is telling because for Lucy, so much of what it means to be a good GP stems from the patient/doctor relationship.
Lucy talks to Mihingarangi Forbes about dealing with burnout, what she has learned from Te Ao Māori and the importance of having hope.
Dr Lucy O'Hagan works as a GP in Porirua. Photo: Lizzi Yates/SUPPLIED
