Plans for a replacement after hours medical service for Wānaka have been put out for tender by Health NZ Te Whatu Ora.

A service specification for the ‘Wānaka After Hours and Overnight Service’ says the service would provide “primary care, urgent care and assessment to all service users outside of normal business hours”, building on existing in-person and virtual primary care, ambulance, transport, and other services.

The new service will extend the availability of a clinician from 6pm to 8pm during the week and from 9am to 5pm on weekends and public holidays.

Health Action Wānaka (HAW) told the Wānaka App it was great to see progress on delivering continued after-hours care for the community.

“We welcome the proposed increase in the level of service with face-to-face appointments required from 6pm to 8pm (clinicians are currently on call from 6pm), and on weekends from 9am - 5pm (currently, on-site clinicians are available 9am to 12pm and 3pm - 6pm),” HAW steering committee chair Monique Mayze said.

The current service operates from Enliven, adjacent to the Wānaka Lakes Health Centre.

The current service is provided by Central Otago Health Services Limited (COHSL) in collaboration with local GPs, St John and Ka Ora, and operates from the Aspiring Enliven Care Centre on Cardrona Valley Road alongside the Wānaka Lakes Health Centre.

Health NZ funding was initially provided for a year but that was extended until a new service is in place. The service was established a year ago in response to community and political advocacy for after hours care in the Upper Clutha.

Read more: Overnight care service opens its doors

A HAW representation was part of the project team that made recommendations for how the new after hours service should be designed. 

“In those meetings, we were very vocal about the need to remove cost as a barrier to people seeking medical help after hours,” Monique said.

“Our position is that symptoms that would be treated for free at a publicly funded emergency department, should be free for people in our community who present with the same symptoms seeking after-hours urgent and unplanned care.”

She said the group was pleased the proposed service would remain free to all eligible children aged under 14. 

“We hope Community Services Card holders will be heavily subsidised as we do not want anyone to miss out on access to urgent healthcare due to cost.” 

The service specification says the chosen provider will set fees in agreement with Health NZ.

Consultation fees for the current nurse-led service, Wānaka Acute Overnight Care, are $180 for those 14 years and over enrolled with a WellSouth GP practice and free for those under 14. Fees are higher for New Zealand visitors ($280 for over 14) and overseas visitors and non residents ($650).

The new service’s “minimum expected outcomes” include face-to-face service available to walk-in patients from 6pm to 8pm, Monday to Friday; an on-call service, accessible first by telephone triage via Ka Ora or some other funded telephone triage provider, from 8pm to 8am, Monday to Friday; and a face-to-face service, available to walk-in patients from 9am to 5pm, on weekends and public holidays.

The clinic will be served by a minimum of two staff, which may include GPs or rural hospital doctors, emergency medical technicians, allied health professionals, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, registered nurses, enrolled nurses, health care assistants or administrators. 

The service will be connected to local St John, clinicians at Dunstan Hospital and Lakes District Hospital and with the Emergency Department at Dunedin Hospital, the service specification said.

The location of the service was not specified, but the document said it “may be part of an existing general practice or other healthcare provider”.

HAW reiterated its request for Health NZ to fund radiology services (x-ray and ultrasound) in Wānaka, including over the weekends, so people can get timely diagnoses.

PHOTOS: Supplied