Centralised GP After-Hours Accident and Medical Services for Horowhenua in 2008

19/09/2007 | Horowhenua after-hours services

A centralised GP after-hours accident and medical service in Horowhenua is next on the agenda for local health bodies.

Horowhenua Primary Health Organisation, local GPs and MidCentral DHB have successfully established many new health services to the district recently and after-hours A&M services will be next.

The 2002 business case for the Horowhenua Health Centre included provision of an after-hours accident and medical service and MidCentral DHB says it is still committed to this happening. It expects the new service will be progressively implemented in 2008 after all options of how the service can be configured are explored properly and there is greater stability in the GP workforce.

Speaking today, Craig Johnston, MidCentral DHB’s Senior Portfolio Manager, Primary Care said: “A co-ordinated after-hours service will be introduced but this will not happen overnight. There is a lot more work to be done to get it right and make it work for both the community and GPs.

“Local health practitioners, including GPs, have worked tirelessly over the last 18 months to bring new health services to the community, maintain business as usual, support ex residents of Kimberley Centre who have moved into the community, and to help establish the new health centre. They need time for services to settle down before embarking on the next stage which is a centralised after-hours service.”

Currently local GPs provide after-hours services on a roster basis from their own practices. The plan is to build up after hours services and to migrate them to the Horowhenua Health Centre over time.

The provision of a robust after-hours service is not just a Horowhenua health issue according to Mr Johnston.

“This is a struggle for many rural areas throughout New Zealand. We have to balance the demands of the community versus what can be practically provided by the number of GPs and local services available.

“Over the last six months, the focus has been on moving GP services into the new Health Centre and dealing with the departure of GPs. General practices continue to face heavy demands. PHO and practices have been working to recruit new GPs to replace departures and to increase the overall staffing level. In the meantime services have been provided by locum GPs, which is expensive. Locums are also difficult to find and by definition are short term,” said Mr Johnston.

MidCentral DHB is working closely with the Horowhenua PHO to develop general practice services in the Horowhenua district and has promised $200,000 for this purpose in the 2007/08 financial year, part of which will be dedicated to after-hours services in the new Health Centre.

Horowhenua after-hours A&M services are part of a district-wide approach. An After Hours Plan for MidCentral DHB is currently being developed by the Horowhenua, Manawatu, Tararua and Otaki PHOs and looks at various nurse triaging options, including enhanced telephone-based triage systems. The plan will be finalised in December 2007.

Mr Johnston expects the new arrangements for Horowhenua after-hours A&M services to progressively come into effect in 2008.

He said: “Horowhenua residents are benefiting from several new services, including: Raukawa Iwi Medical Service, Himatangi Nursing Service, more GPs in Foxton, Diabetes Nursing Service, and Chronic Care Teams. The surgical bus was in town yesterday, and in November community-based clinics for cardiology and respiratory will commence.”