Medical charges trimmed for many

Children under 6 years of age will benefit from the changes. Photo / Thinkstock

After-hours medical charges fall by 40 per cent on average from today for nearly half of Aucklanders.

District health boards are putting $7.5 million a year into the long-awaited plan, and primary health organisations and accident and medical centres $1.7 million.

After-hours patient co-payments, although generally remaining higher than those during office hours, will fall for 627,000 people in metropolitan Auckland. The groups to benefit will be:

* Children under 6 years of age

* People aged 65 or older

* Holders of a community services card

* People who have a high-user health card

* Those who live in a low-income area

The reduced payments will apply at 11 clinics after 6pm on weekdays, all weekend and on public holidays.

The clinics are spread from Pukekohe in the south to Takapuna in the north, and from Henderson in the west to Botany in the east.

The DHBs say the reductions in charges will vary across the clinics, although seven clinics will see children aged under 6 at no charge.

"For example, in Henderson, under-6-year-olds are usually being charged $31 and up to $36 on a public holiday and this will now be free after hours."

Four of the 11 clinics will be open 24 hours, as they are at present. The rest will close at 10pm, except the East Tamaki Healthcare clinic in Bairds Rd, Otara, which will close at 11pm.

Individual DHBs have struggled to come up with after-hours solutions since the Primary Health Care Strategy was introduced in 2001.

Public frustration broke out last summer with many patients complaining to the Herald about being charged in some cases more than $100 at A&Ms during the holiday period. One man expressed his disgust at being charged $112 on a public holiday for a 10-minute consultation.

The DHBs hope the extended hours, reduced co-payments and expanded telephone medical advice system will stem the growth in the number of patients attending hospital emergency departments.

"There has been concern at the serious increase in presentations to emergency departments in metro Auckland," Lester Levy, the chairman of the Auckland and Waitemata DHBs, said yesterday.

Middlemore Hospital's emergency department saw a record 356 patients last Monday.

The aim is that patients will continue to see their own GP for usual medical care during office hours and use the after-hours network at other times. Patients are asked not to go directly to a hospital emergency department unless they think there is an immediate threat to life or limb.

The DHBs say that in rural areas, such as Kumeu, Waiheke, Warkworth and Wellsford, a 24-hour on-call service is provided. Patients requiring after-hours medical care in these areas should phone their GP.