29 Jun 2022

Wellington urgent care doctor on overwhelmed health sector

From Checkpoint, 5:48 pm on 29 June 2022

Emergency medical clinics in Wellington are being swamped with patients due to a surge in winter ills, meaning some are waiting hours to be seen.

Checkpoint has been reporting on a health system under pressure with many GPs so under the pump they are not taking on new patients, forcing some patients to travel long distances or wait to see a doctor.

Some hospital emergency departments have been offering vouchers or paying emergency clinics to stay open longer and take their overflow patients.

Dr Kelvin Ward is the medical director of the Wellington Accident and Urgent Medical Centre and is also the chair of the Royal College of Urgent Care. He talks to Lisa Owen.