It would also give practices and Mahitahi Hauora, the organisation overseeing most primary healthcare in Northland, a chance to recruit and rebuild its workforce, he said.
Kaitaia's biggest practice, Te Hiku Hauora, has two clinics in Kaitaia and one in Coopers Beach with just 7.3 full-time equivalent GPs. That's three or four GPs fewer than required to serve 13,600 enrolled patients.
Practice manager Cheryl Britton's decision in April to close the books to new patients, with the two other practices soon following suit, sparked the health board's overnight roster change.
Britton said finding staff in winter was always difficult but this year had been tougher than usual. Most GPs in Kaitaia came from the Northern Hemisphere on six to 12 month contracts but they didn't want to be in New Zealand in winter.
That was compounded by an ageing workforce, high numbers of casual patients, and the usual spike of winter illnesses.
However, the most onerous part of the job in Kaitaia — and the biggest barrier to recruiting new GPs — had been the after-hours roster.
''That was the root cause of the problem. Who wants to come here if you can work all day, then be on call from 5pm-8am, then be in the clinic again the next day?''
When she made the call to close the books the situation had become ''outright dangerous''.
''We don't want to cause harm to anyone, including our clinicians.''
Britton said removing the overnight roster had ''absolutely'' made a difference. It meant GPs could now turn their phones off at 10pm and get a good night's sleep.
She understood the health board was talking with at least one practice about reopening its books but Te Hiku Hauora would have to hire more staff before it could do so. She was currently ''ringing around the world'' in a bid to recruit GPs who had previously worked in Kaitaia.
Kaitaia's smallest practice is a branch of Kaikohe-based Broadway Health with 3000 patients.
Practice manager Jessie Hoskins said any change that aided recruitment and improved GPs' work-life balance was welcome.
''We've also felt the pressure. We can only imagine how bad it is for the bigger practices when they're three of four bodies down. Hospital doctors are also under a huge amount of pressure. It's a difficult time for everyone.''
Health board chief executive Nick Chamberlain said patients should continue seeing their regular GPs during the day or go to the after-hours general practice clinic at Kaitaia Hospital, which was open from 7pm seven days a week.
The after-hours clinic was also open from 10am to noon on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Similar measures have already been introduced to reduce strain on doctors in the Mid North and Kaipara.
Mid North GPs are still required to help fill evening and weekend shifts at Kawakawa Hospital but health board staff took over the 10pm-8am roster last year.
The demands of Kaitaia's after-hours roster has long been a bone of contention for GPs.
In 2005, after a bitter dispute with the then Te Tai Tokerau Primary Health Organisation over after-hours care, Coopers Beach GP Neil Benson converted his medical clinic into a brothel.
The venture was controversial but short-lived. It turned out that staff recruitment and retention is also a challenge in the oldest profession.
