Patients Paying Over $200 To Visit After-Hours In Palmerston North

Some patients seeking treatment at a Palmerston North
after hours clinic could face a bill of more than
$200.

Palmerston North after-hours clinic is one of
the most expensive places to seek care in New Zealand,
costing between $225 (with a community services card) to
$260 for a non-enrolled patient for a medical consult, and
between $85 (with a community services card) and $110 for
enrolled patients.

On Sunday, the government announced
a $164
million boost to urgent care services throughout the
country over the next four years.

The announcement
includes new 24/7 urgent care services for Auckland’s
Counties Manukau, Whangārei, Palmerston North, Tauranga and
Dunedin. While new and extended daytime urgent care services
will be rolled out in Lower Hutt, Invercargill and
Timaru.

Patient Voice Aotearoa’s Malcolm Mullholland
said it is unclear if the boost will help to make services
more affordable.

“It’s not uncommon to walk in there
and see the waiting room bursting at the seams with
patients, (and) there to be wait times of four hours or
more. On top of that, if you are seen, there is a horrendous
cost attached to that,” Mullholland told Morning
Report.

He said for many patients, the cost is too
expensive so they go to Palmerston North Hospital’s
emergency department instead.

But it’s not just
Palmerston North experiencing costly after hours’
visits.

“I’ve heard of horrendous costs else where, in
particular, around Queenstown and Central Otago,”
Mullholland said. “I understand it’s a common price to pay
over $200 down that part of the world and I suspect it’s
very high elsewhere.”

Mullholland said he doesn’t know
why the clinic costs that much, however, noted the number of
doctors at the Palmerston North after-hours has reduced due
to doctors retiring.

“We just do not have enough GPs
in Aotearoa,” he said.

The clinic is operating with a
deficit of around 10 doctors, according to the owner of the
clinic, City Doctors.

“[It’s] putting the few GPs who
are left under immense pressure, with increased workloads
and longer hours,” City Doctor said in a press release
earlier this year.

“We have actively engaged with
stakeholders in the region and continue to request support
from GPs not currently contributing at an equitable level,
but unfortunately, we still do not have enough clinician
support.”

City Doctors has been approached for further
comment on their pricing.

Brown told Morning Report
on Monday the government’s investments in primary care
will ensure new urgent care clinics are adequately
staffed with doctors.

Funding had been allocated
to train 50 more GPs a year, 100 overseas doctors already in
NZ, and for 120 nurse practitioners per year, he
said.

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