Cash-strapped GPs are being forced to fund an important medical tool out of pocket.

The Point of Care Ultrasound (Pocus), a handheld device widely used by general practitioners overseas, is not publicly funded by Te Whatu Ora.

Pinnacle Health Clinical Director Jo Scott-Jones says the tool allows doctors to get a physical view into a patient's body in order to detect conditions.

"With a stethoscope, you can hear the heart murmur. With the Pocus device, you can see what's causing the heart murmur and you can determine whether it's something significant or not- you can see a lot of detail."

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