27 Jun 2022

Free doctors visits shifts pressure from DHBs to GPs

From First Up, 5:53 am on 27 June 2022

Last week we spoke with a South Auckland GP from one of the 27 clinics offering free weekend consultations in order to relieve pressure on Middlemore Hospital's overloaded emergency department. In return, Counties Manukau DHB is paying practices $250 per patient they see on Friday evenings and weekend days, and $350 per patient on weekend evenings. The temporary scheme is aimed at helping Middlemore's Emergency Department as it grapples with an influx of patients due to Covid and winter flu. The Wellington and Southern District Health Boards, which are facing similar pressures, have introduced similar measures. To tell us how the second weekend has gone, Nathan is joined by Dr Karl Cole from Papatoetoe Family Doctors, which is part of the Health Hub in Papatoetoe.