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People who need a doctor are facing unprecedented waiting times and large bills because of the number of GPs opting to shut their surgeries for the entire holiday season.
The problem is greatest in Auckland, where patients are waiting six hours to be seen at Waitakere Hospital's accident and emergency department and two hours at most private A&E clinics.
There have also been reports of delays at private A&E centres in other cities, including Hamilton, where there are just two after-hours clinics open over the holidays.
General manager of White Cross, Dr Alistair Sullivan, says its nine Auckland clinics are under more pressure than in previous years.
"Since the weekend we have been flooded with extra patients. The cost and the shortage of locums is what is causing the problem."
Many GPs have shut-up shop and don't have a locum, he says.
A Middlemore Hospital spokeswoman attributed five-hour waiting times at the A&E department on December 27th to a lack of GPs. "The 27th was really busy with general inquiries because many GP surgeries were closed."
The cost of seeing a doctor in Auckland is up to $90 on public holidays and $70 in other large centres.
Most doctors get paid $150 an hour or more for working on a public holiday or weekend, according to Dr Sullivan.
He adds that waiting times have increased despite the fact that most surgeries this year have extra staff.
He said at Christmas, it would not be unheard of for a locum to get $200 an hour, making it understandable that a GP would just close.
"GPs are not forced to provide cover and are choosing not to do so," he says. "This is causing a massive volume of patients."
White Cross clinics in Henderson and Greenlane are under the greatest pressure. St Lukes also reportedly has two-hour delays to see a doctor.
Backlogs are created at hospital emergency departments when patients cannot afford the costs of visiting an after hours doctor at a private clinic.
But Dr Sullivan says a clinic is compelled to see all patients, regardless of ability to pay. Outstanding bills are followed up and could affect a person's credit rating.
The New Zealand Royal College of General Practitioners president, Dr Jonathan Fox, says GPs have a contract with their Primary Health Organisation to provide after-hours cover but do not necessarily have to open their surgery.
GPs have either an understanding or contractual arrangement that another after-hours clinic will see their patients.
After hours clinics are usually owned by a group of doctors who take turns on a roster providing emergency cover.
