Demand surges at medical centres

David Gilbert, manager of 2nd Avenue Health Centre, said in the last three months the average daily patient numbers had risen from 145 to 180. Photo / John Borren

Some Western Bay medical centres have had to stop taking on new patients because they can no longer keep up with demand.

And the trend is placing extra strain on Tauranga Hospital's already busy emergency department.

David Gilbert, manager of 2nd Avenue Health Centre, said in the last three months the average daily patient numbers had risen from 145 to 180.

"Also the usual decline in patient numbers after the high winter peak has not happened this year."

Mr Gilbert said there was no doubt there was a shortage of GPs in Tauranga as many medical centres were struggling to keep up with the demand, in part caused by the growing population.

Plus some practices had lost GPs, meaning the caseload for others had increased, he said.

CentralMed Health manager Philippa Fox said she managed five medical centres in the city and some individual GPs were full to capacity and not taking any more patients.

"Obviously as more people come into this community, there is going to be an increased demand for GP services. But I think this is a national issue, not just something happening in Tauranga. We are bringing in some new GPs over the next few weeks," she said.

A Papamoa Pines Medical Centre spokesperson said the centre was accepting more patients and taking on two more GPs in coming weeks. "But I'm aware that some centres in town are at full to capacity." Bethlehem Medical Centre manager Diane Pitkeathly said despite the centre having stopped taking new patients about two years ago, it had a significant waiting list. "We manage our caseload with existing patient numbers to ensure we can see urgent patients on the day, and other patients in one to two days," she said.

Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation chief executive Roger Taylor said patient visits at walk-in medical centres like 2nd Avenue Heath Centre, emergency departments and general practices had increased the past three months. "Numbers presenting a general practices are at an all-time high, and while some centres are still taking enrolments, others are not because they are at full capacity."

Mr Taylor said the usual drop off in patient numbers after the winter had not happened this year. The reason was being investigated but the explanations were likely to be quite complex. He said population growth and the introduction of free-under 13 visits were placing some pressure on the after-hours health services but there were likely to be other factors at play too. Of the 1022 patients seen at the hospital's accident and emergency last week, almost 47 per cent presented with non-urgent medical conditions.

Dr Derek Sage, Tauranga Hospital emergency department clinical director, said it was a "very busy period" for all healthcare professionals. Between January 1 and November 9 this year, 43,530 patients visited the department, 2034 more than the same period last year, and 47 per cent could have been treated by their GP.