Major Investment in 24/7 Medical Services

Friday, 29 October 2010, 12:54 pm
Press Release: Waikato District Health Board

Major Investment in 24/7 Medical Services

An investment of more than $2.7 million in improving access to rural and after hours’ medical services seems to have paid off where it matters most – out in the community.

Waikato District Health Board’s Community and Public Health Advisory Committee (CPHAC) this week heard about the great lengths the organisation has gone to, to ensure Waikato residents have access to after hours’ medical care.

One of the biggest achievements has been the ability to offer after hours’ medical services to 99.7 per cent of the Waikato DHB region’s population within 60 minutes drive.

The Ministry of Health target is 95 per cent.

“As probably the largest rural DHB in New Zealand, it’s quite an achievement that we have surpassed this target, and in fact, for the 95 per cent of our population the travel time is less than 45 minutes,” said Planning and Funding general manager Brett Paradine.

Out of a total population of 339,204, just 664 people in the region don’t have access to general practice or hospital-based after hours’ services within 60 minutes drive.

“Most of these people live on the coast north of Raglan, south of Kawhia and inland from Ohura,” said Mr Paradine.

“In some of these areas, emergency ambulance services and community first responder volunteers provided by the Order of St John play a vital first response after hours’ role.”

North of Raglan, there is a community first responder team at Te Akau and south of Kawhia a team at Marokopa. There is an ambulance based at Ohura with paid and volunteer staff available 24/7.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

The second major outcome of the proposal has been reducing the burden of after hours’ calls on general practitioners, as has maintaining access for patients to after hours.

The implementation of telephone nurse triage in Waikato has meant referrals for the last quarter to on-call GPs (day and night) were 32 in Hamilton, 21 in towns within 30 minutes from Hamilton and 600 for the rest of the Waikato.

Additional funding has also meant that Anglesea Clinic in Hamilton has been able to reduce their after hours’ co-payments (fees paid by the public) to the same price as their daytime rates and co-payments for children under five from $20 to $5.

The Rural Health and After Hours’ Advisory Groups developed a proposal, which determined that sustainable and accessible after hours’ services in Waikato would include:

• After hours’ telephone nurse triage services in Hamilton to provide residents with a free and convenient alternative to after hours’ medical care ($171,000 per annum).
• Establishment of after hours’ overnight primary medical services (called sub hubs) in Matamata, Coromandel, Whangamata and Whitianga) to enable 95 per cent of the population to be within 45 minutes drive of an after hours’ service ($774,000 per annum).
• Support through additional funding for overnight services in Hamilton ($630,000).
• Reduce co-payment of overnight after hours’ services in Hamilton and rural areas. This was addressed as part of establishing sub hubs and the Hamilton overnight service.
• Retain and recruit volunteers for the Order of St John ($50,000 per annum).

The services have been established and funded with both Ministry of Health and prioritised Waikato DHB funding.

“An evaluation of the services against effectiveness and value for money will be undertaken after services have been in place for 12 months,” said Mr Paradine.

ENDS

Waikato District Health Board

Healthy People. Excellent Care

Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.