New Zealand's leading practice management system (PMS) vendor Medtech Global is in discussions with representatives from the primary health organisations (PHOs) to find a resolution to a simmering row over who will cover the ongoing cost of the new National Enrolment Service (NES).

The NES has been developed by the Ministry of Health to provide a single source of truth for all national patient enrolment and identity data and promises a range of benefits, including the ability to validate NHI numbers and see patient enrolment status in real time, along with more accurate capitation based funding (CBF) calculations and speedier payments for practices.

The system is or has been integrated into the four main PMSs as a web service and is due to go live on July 1, but an argument has broken out between the Ministry, Medtech and the PHOs over the cost of activating and maintaining the service.