Health Action Wānaka (HAW), Wānaka’s new health advocacy group, is pushing for a ‘stop gap’ measure to provide full after-hours care in the Upper Clutha.

Wānaka’s GP practices currently offer after-hours care until 11pm, after which patients who need to be seen by a clinician may be directed by Healthline to the Lakes District Hospital emergency department in Queenstown or Dunstan Hospital in Clyde.

HAW said when doctors in Alexandra and Cromwell stopped offering after-hours care, WellSouth (which funds local GP healthcare) stepped in and funded Central Otago Health Services Limited (Dunstan Hospital) to provide the service. 

“GP-led extended after-hours medical care ceased in Wānaka in 2022, yet we are still waiting for a solution to be implemented to provide this essential service to our community,” HAW said.

HAW said Te Whatu Ora has the opportunity to fund a ‘stop-gap’ solution to the Upper Clutha community’s lack of access to extended after-hours medical care. 

“The proposal would provide a clinical nurse specialist (an experienced and skilled senior clinician) on-site overnight with remote support from a senior doctor based at Dunstan Hospital. 

“People could be assessed by the clinical nurse specialist and receive either overnight observation and monitoring locally, or be referred via ambulance to Dunstan Hospital if needed,” HAW said.

Representatives of Central Otago Health Services Limited (COHSL), the community-owned, not-for-profit organisation that provides health services out of Dunstan Hospital, have spent two years working on this proposal, HAW said, “so it’s important we let decision-makers know that we need this service as soon as possible”. 

HAW is encouraging locals to email Te Whatu Ora ([email protected]) with their support for the proposal.

Read more: Wānaka after hours health care cut