Free GP visits make quick impact

Raumanga Medical Centre GP Conlin Locke is pleased to see free GP visits are being introduced across the country for under-13s today. Photo / John Stone

Northland emergency departments have treated 10 per cent less children between 6 and 12 years olds after the region made GP visits for the age group free nine months ago.

Today the rest of the country follows suit introducing free general practitioner visits, after-hours consultations and prescription fees for all children aged between 6 and 12. While the move was introduced in last year's Budget, Northland health organisations chose to start the service early on October 1, last year.

Manaia Primary Health Organisation chief executive Chris Farrelly said the impact had been significant.

"The biggest success is that a huge number of our high needs children have had free healthcare in the last months that they probably wouldn't have had otherwise," Mr Farrelly said.

The number of GP visits by the age group in Northland had risen by 10 per cent, while the number of prescriptions filled had risen 18 per cent compared to the year prior.

Raumanga Medical Centre GP Conlin Locke said they had seen a jump in the number of children coming in since the new policy came in.

It was good the initiative started in October in Northland as many practices would struggle coping with the increase in demand over flu season, he said.

While families used to bring in a lot of kids at once to save money, now they were coming as soon as they needed to, Dr Locke said.

Bush Road Medical Centre practice manager Siobhan Matich said she thought the move showed "great foresight".

"More people are coming because of the reduction in financial barriers," she said. "They are engaged early and there's no worry about do I have to pay."

Whangarei mum Da'Shaun Walding said her daughter had chronic eczema and asthma so doctors visits were a regular occurrence. While the family usually visited the free GP at her daughter's school she was pleased to learn three weeks ago all GP visits were free.

"It takes off so much stress for the families," Ms Walding said. Mr Farrelly echoed earlier concerns that the rate of uptake by low-income Maori families was not as high as health professionals would like.