Health and Wellbeing Events

Dr Marion Leighton is a specialist physician at Wellington Hospital, Mary Potter Hospice and principal advisor to the Covid immunisation programme at the Ministry of Health.  She is a strong community advocate and has helped coordinate joint health and housing Covid responses throughout this pandemic. She is also a senior lecturer for the University of Otago, and lead physician for Doctors for Active, Safe Transport.

Dr Leighton is part of the Wellington Timebank. She can sometimes be seen e-biking around town while her other interests include walking and tramping.

Dr Nick Oscroft is a local General Practitioner with a broad career including ten years’ experience working in Emergency and ICU.  He also spent many years as a Wellington GP before joining Island Bay Medical Centre (IBMC) five years ago.  Nick is a partner at IBMC with a focus on succession planning and long-term sustainability at the clinic.  Nick is an advocate for empowering people with information and knowledge for their health and self-care.

He lives with his family in Hataitai, where he maintains a balanced life by getting out mountain biking, diving or fishing.

Duncan Sutherland is a practising pharmacist and has a pharmacology career spanning almost 25 years in both New Zealand and the UK.  As owner/pharmacist at Unichem Upper Hutt and Unichem Highstreet Lower Hutt, he has vast experience in the NZ Covid immunisation program.  Accredited to administer Pfizer, AstraZeneca and paediatric Pfizer doses, Duncan has vaccinated many Wellingtonians and is currently leading a mass vaccination clinic in Upper Hutt at Whirinaki Whare Taonga. With specific expertise in aged care and community pharmacy, Duncan also happens to be a long-term local of Island Bay.

Dr Richard Medlicott is a long-term Island Bay resident. He is a General Practitioner, Director and Partner at the Island Bay Medical Centre.  While simultaneously maintaining other professional medical affiliations, Richard has been committed to the health and wellbeing of the Island Bay Community since 1998.  He is a popular local doctor with a personable style that is well-regarded by his patients and peers.

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Richard also has a keen interest in the outdoors. You may see him out cycling or in a wetsuit heading out for a snorkel off the rocks by the Bait House.  His other interests include being a guitar-playing member of  local band, Alpha Gal.

Nico Ritmeester has an academic background in physiology and pharmacy and is a recent graduate of the University of Otago.  He moved to Pōneke at the end of 2021 to commence his role as intern Pharmacist at Unichem Island Bay.  Nico grew up in Whāngarei and feels a familiar welcoming sense of community and camaraderie in Island Bay. 

Along with his role at the pharmacy, Nico maintains a keen interest in the arts and creative expression.