Dunedin GP leader and Southern Clinical Network director Prof Murray Tilyard is part of a bid to set up a breakaway PHO.
Yesterday, he said some GPs were frustrated by a lack of links between hospital services and GP practices.
Southern Clinical Network formed about a year ago with 57 southern GP practices.
However, Prof Tilyard did not know how many of them wanted to be part of a new PHO.
The existing PHO, WellSouth, hopes the Southern District Health Board will decline the bid. Mornington Health Centre manager Jo Rowe said Otago and Southland went through a difficult process a few years ago when nine PHOs were rolled into one.
Mornington is not part of the Southern Clinical Network.
It made no sense to revisit history by splitting up the PHO, she believed.
''It would simply be a division of funding and resources. I don't believe it's a positive move.
''The whole reason for forming one PHO was to reduce the multiplication of management structures, which are very costly in New Zealand health.
Patient funding, which carries expectations and requirements, is funnelled through PHOs to GPs.
''To have one PHO makes sense. If that PHO was ineffectual, I could understand someone needing to step in. But, actually, the PHO is doing a pretty good job.''
WellSouth chief executive Ian Macara said in a statement he was confident WellSouth would remain ''the region's only Primary Health Organisation''.
Prof Tilyard said the formation of good ''clinical pathways'' had been slow in the South compared with other places.
WellSouth is trying to forge links between specialist services and GPs but there had been an apparent lack of traction, he said.
It mattered for patients because links with specialist services could speed up access to radiology and other services.
''We had been approached by a number of practices saying they wanted to do things differently.''
The Southern Clinical Network had support from some highly regarded Dunedin specialists, he said.
Prof Tilyard dismissed concern over duplication of structures, saying the new PHO would help the Southern District Health Board's budget woes by finding ways to reduce cost in primary care.
The 57 practices cover about 196,000 southern patients. Prof Tilyard is a former board member of the WellSouth PHO as a GP representative, before he was voted off in 2013.
Prof Tilyard expected a decision on the application by the end of next month. SDHB commissioner Kathy Grant will decide whether to grant the request.
An expert review panel has been convened to advise her on whether a second PHO is needed.
What does a PHO do?
• Distributes money to GP practices.
• Oversees GP targets (such as heart checks).
• Reports to local district health board.
• Funds special community health initiatives.
