Tārapunga Trust - Mobile ENT Van
A ground-breaking mobile ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) specialist clinic has been delivered in Kawakawa, marking a major step toward improving access to care for rural communities across the region.
David led the two-day outreach clinic, held at Ngāti Hine Health Trust (Ngāti Hine) in partnership with Ngāti Hine and Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Te Tai Tokerau.
"Ngāti Hine welcomed us with open arms. We set out to remove barriers to care by delivering services directly to the community—and that’s exactly what we achieved."
The Tarāpunga mobile ENT clinic, named after the red-billed gull, was donated by Professor Richard Douglas (Auckland City Hospital, University of Auckland) and is operated by the charitable Tarāpunga Trust, co-founded by Professor Douglas and Dr. Waterhouse. The van is equipped with advanced diagnostic technology and provides an equivalent level of care to Hospitals and our clinic.
We're Here To Help
Like many health services in New Zealand, we are experiencing a significant increase in the demand for our services. To better meet your needs and reduce wait times, we are expanding our availability to include additional clinics outside of our regular hours.
We understand that this situation may lead to some delays, particularly for new assessments. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and greatly appreciate your patience and support as we work to navigate this period of high demand.
Our team is dedicated to providing high-quality surgical care and is committed to ensuring that we meet your needs as efficiently as possible.
WHANGĀREI
The Tūhauora Clinic is located inside the Kensington Private Hospital Reception area.
Our clinic rooms are certified with the New Zealand Standard 8165:2005 to provide Rooms/Office-based surgery and procedures.
Parking Access: On site & overflow parking via 10 Islington Street.
Full Accessibility Clinic Rooms
Northland's Otorhinolaryngology Service
The Tūhauora Team are your local private Whangārei ENT surgery providers. Dr David Waterhouse and Dr Vanessa Vallely offer a comprehensive range of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (ENT) services. David was born and raised in Northland and understands the unique ENT needs of the community.