Having created a petition Better urgent healthcare services for children on the Kapiti Coast using online platform Change.org, Mrs Cottrell summoned Capital & Coast District Health Board (CCDHB) chief executive Debbie Chin, Otaki MP Nathan Guy and Mana MP Kris Faafoi to look into the issue.
The petition, written in an attempt to get permanent 24 hour healthcare services for children established in Kapiti, had received over 300 signatures this afternoon.
Mrs Cottrell said at the moment, there were no children's healthcare services available on the Kapiti Coast after 10pm.
"It's a large geographical area and from 10pm until 8am, there's nowhere for any patients to be seen anywhere from Kenepuru to Otaki," said the ex-legal executive.
"This seems very poor given that the population of Kapiti is increasingly becoming young families.
"Each time one of my boys gets sick at night, the only options I have are to call Healthline, drive into Wellington hospital despite not having a car, or phone an ambulance."
She said parents often felt they could not ring an ambulance unless their child's condition was serious, which was not always easy to identify.
"As a mother, it's scary.
"Often it's important to get on top of conditions with antibiotics as soon as possible because a condition can worsen quickly.
"Sometimes, even if Healthline can recommend a medicine or treatment, you can't get it until the next day as we have no 24 hour pharmacy facilities."
Mrs Cottrell's petition highlighted the high cost of travelling to Wellington from Kapiti, which she said impacted young families often reliant on low incomes.
"To catch the train into Wellington for an adult is about $20 from Paraparaumu and this makes travelling to the hospital very challenging if you're on a low income."
She said trains from Kapiti to Wellington stopped between 11pm to 5am throughout the week.
"If you have a car you still have to pay for petrol, plus parking charges.
"Even one trip to the hospital can severely impact (a family's) budget for the week."
CCDHB chief executive Debbie Chin said in 2009, an additional after-hours service was trialled in Kapiti, "however demand was extremely low (and) required by only one or two people per night".
"The trial involved CCDHB funding Wellington Free Ambulance's pilot 24-hour Urgent Community Care service in Kapiti," she said.
"The pilot ran from May 2009 to July 2014, after which the service was scaled back to the hours of 7.30am to 7.30pm, due to lack of demand for an after-hours service."
In a statement released to Kapiti News, Mrs Chin said that Kapiti Coast residents were able to access after-hours healthcare through a number of services.
"These include Wellington Free Ambulance's Urgent Community Care service until 7.30pm, Paraparaumu's Team Medical until 10pm, Kenepuru Hospital's 24 hour Accident and Medical clinic, and free advice from qualified nurses through Healthline."
Nathan Guy also mentioned the previous 24 hour pilot Urgent Community Care service, which had been of "extremely low" demand.
He noted Kenepuru Hospital's Accident and Medical clinic was an option, with a half hour less travel time than Wellington Hospital, as well as free 24 hour advice from qualified Healthline nurses.
Mrs Cottrell said she did not dispute those services were available.
"I'd be interested to know if they promoted the trial adequately to the community, so that everyone knew it was available."
Raumati Beach mother Angela Claridge, who was one of a collection of local parents to have signed the petition, said as a mother of four small children, the lack of emergency services in the district after 10pm worried her.
"Our growing population needs this," she said.
"The stress of hauling our sick and distressed children to Wellington is ridiculous."
Paraparaumu mother Amalia Calder agreed, saying her child's health was important.
She said the travel time to after hours' healthcare facilities was "a stressful situation for both child and parent and could be avoided."
Mrs Cottrell, who said she was very passionate about the healthcare of her children, as well as other children on the coast, urged CCDHB to reassess the needs of children in Kapiti.
"I think the DHB has the money and why shouldn't they be spending it on our children?"
"How crazy is it that for 10 hours every night, you can't get medical help for your child unless it's a life threatening emergency.
"We need to give our children the best healthcare possible and the best start in life."
To sign or view the petition, click here.
