Petition for 24-hour medical service in Pāpāmoa

Todd Muller is backing Judy Killalea's petition for a 24-hour medical centre in Pāpāmoa. Photo / John Borren

When Judy Killalea heard her husband say there was something wrong she knew she needed to get help - and fast.

Her husband, Michael, suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and had been diagnosed with cancer.

His arm was swelling but facing a 25-minute drive from Pāpāmoa to Tauranga Hospital at 5pm on a Saturday; her husband said: "No, I don't want to go".

Ignoring her husband, Killalea phoned 111 and waited for the ambulance to arrive.

"If there had been something close I would have taken him myself ... he said to wait to the morning, but it was too late," she said.

Killalea's husband died on September 24, 2015.

As the anniversary of her husband's death nears, Killalea is petitioning to get a 24-hour medical centre for Pāpāmoa.

Her petition comes just days after the developer of a new $7 million medical hub in Pāpāmoa said he hoped to one day make the sizeable medical centre a 24-hour service.

Killalea had seen Pāpāmoa's growing population and said there was a desperate need for a 24-hour service in the community.

"It has grown so fast, faster than we thought it was going to grow," she said. "It would be wonderful not just for me but for the whole community."

The 72-year-old said she had emailed the Bay of Plenty District Health Board about six months ago but nothing had come of it. Now, she had the backing of Bay of Plenty National MP Todd Muller.

Muller said there were a number of doctors in Tauranga which closed at 6pm or 7pm at the latest and the Accident & HealthCare on Second Ave closed at 9pm but nothing that opened 24 hours.

A father of three, Muller said Pāpāmoa residents of all ages would feel comforted knowing there was somewhere to go after hours.

"I don't know what it is about being a parent, but kids always seem to get worse about bath time or on the weekend," he said.

"To have something around this area would be a huge peace of mind."

Muller said the petition was being tabled in Parliament and submissions would remain open until the end of the year ready to present when the house first sits in January 2019.

"I hope to make it open for as long as possible but at the very least what we want here is what they have in Tauranga which is open until 9pm," he said.

Bay of Plenty District Health Board general manager of planning and funding Simon Everitt said the DHB and SmartGrowth had been planning future health service provision in growth areas such as Pāpāmoa East.

"We often get approached by private developers for information about future projections and opportunities for health services including general practice, aged care and pharmacy," he said.

"We have no formal plans to build another public hospital in Pāpāmoa or elsewhere."

However, the DHB was in regular discussions with the Primary Health Organisations regarding new general practices, extended hours and new ways of providing services closer to where people lived and worked.

• To sign the petition, visit https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/petitions/document/PET_80344/petition-of-judy-killalea-provide-funding-for-after-hours