Most importantly, we are still opening and providing medical care and support to our community. But like you all in your bubbles, we have had to adapt to how we do this. This is to ensure our community and staff, are kept at lowest possible risk of being exposed to COVID-19. 

The biggest change that may be of note is that you cannot just drop into the practice anymore. The after hours clinics in the weekend have become a booking system only. This is to help us control the number of patients in the clinic at any one time. We want to ensure that we can maintain the 2m physical distance between our patients. 

All GP and Nurse Practitioner consults are now offered initially as a phone or virtual consult. We are able to get a history over the phone and from here either offer advice, organise a prescription or arrange for you to be seen either in your car or in the practice. 

If you get asked to come in you will be told park around the right of the building and to wait in the car and ring the practice when you arrive. You will then be greeted by one of our smiling staff (hidden behind a mask) wearing appropriate personal protective equipment. This gives us the ability to change between patient contact, protecting both you and ourselves. You will also be given a mask and asked to wear it during consult. The rationale behind this is that COVID-19 is spread by droplets – this comes from a cough, sneeze or sometimes during talking. 

The practitioner can then either assess you in the car or bring you into the practice, where as I mentioned before, you are not likely to see any other patients as we try to maintain social isolation practices for you all. All equipment that is touched by the patient will be thoroughly cleaned between consults. 

Please do not be offended if the reception team ask for payment when you book. This is helping us prevent you touching something else in the practice.

Some other significant changes at present is in regards to our laboratory testing. Due to the importance of screening for COVID-19, routine tests such as cholesterol, diabetes etc have been put on hold to free up staff. We are still doing laboratory tests if they are significant for your ongoing health needs. If you are concerned about this please discuss with one of our wonderful nursing teams. 

In regards to vaccinations – these are still one of our high priorities. All routine immunisations for children are still being done up to 11 years. Flu vaccines are being done as fast as we are supplied – our initial groups include our high risk patients due to current health conditions and over 65s. Once these groups have been done we will put out an offer to others interested. 

For those of you that are adapting to this new way of living and social contact through devices, we too have a way of doing this with you. Our Connect Med system gives you access to your notes online and the ability to request repeat prescriptions. Please ring our admin team to get set up with this. 

Please remember to stay in your bubble, wash hands regularly and cover coughs and sneezes with your arm, this will make our job easier and hopefully mean a routine to a more normal way of life sooner.

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Located at Wanaka Lakes Health Centre, 23 Cardrona Valley Road, Wanaka.

Tel : 03 443 0725 (24 hours), Fax : 03 443 0726, [email protected]

We are on the right hand-side just through the main entrance to Wanaka Lakes Health Centre.