Private emergency after-hours care for sick and injured people has been centralised at one location in Whangarei.
Primecare Medical Centre has closed its weekend after-hours service at its Kensington premises and combined with its opposition, Bank St's White Cross Accident and Medical Clinic, to provide emergency care on weekends.
From this weekend, White Cross will be the only private practice in the city offering after-hours care on weekends and public holidays.
Primecare will operate as normal during the week but its doctors will be rostered on to White Cross over the weekends.
The move, touted as a rationalisation of after-hours services, is aimed at creating a one-stop shop for patients seeking treatment during those hours, says Primecare general manager Paul Taylor.
"It's about simplifying the service that is provided in Whangarei, rationalising it for what's best for the patients.
"Instead of having two different services offering different things, it's probably better to have as one operation." He said steps had been taken to prepare for the change, with White Cross putting structures and processes in place for the expected increase in numbers. And the additional GPs from Primecare would help as well.
Primecare would now focus on being a general practice and building relationships with patients, Mr Taylor said.
White Cross general manager Rob Kofoed said White Cross treated up to 80 patients on an average weekend and he expected that would increase by up to 50 patients.
The move came because all GPs in Whangarei were now under one Primary Health Organisation.
Under that contract arrangement GPs need to look at providing after hours care for their patients and it was probably too difficult to do with that two different after-hours services.
All Whangarei's GPs would now be on the roster for after-hours care at White Cross.
"With one after-hours service everyone will know there is one place to go for provision of after hours care."
While he expected an increase in patients he was confident the centre would be able to cope with the demand.
"I think we have the capacity to see an increased number. If that number is more than we anticipated then we'll look at putting more doctors on the shop floor."
Northland Health clinical adviser and GP liaison Nick Chamberlain did not expect the change would place extra pressure on the hospital's accident and emergency department.
"The GPS have joined into one roster to deliver after-hours service. There will be no confusion now there is one after-hours service."
One-stop shop to treat emergencies
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