The Napier community feels underwhelmed despite retaining its overnight urgent care.
The Government’s back tracking on a leaked proposal to cut the service due to low demand, which sparked community backlash.
It will remain nurse-led, but with no doctors on-site.
Patient Voice Aotearoa Chair Malcolm Mulholland told Francesca Rudkin the community deserves a robust urgent care service, including a GP.
He says they do feel like they've been let down by the government.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Protests over a lack of after ours medical care in
Napier will go ahead despite an agreement yesterday to enhance
the service. Napier currently has no doctor after APM, meaning
the closest medical care overnight is a twenty five minute
drive to Hastings. Yesterday, Health Minister Simon Brown announced an
increase in the overnight urgent care service in the area,
including access to nurse prescribers and medical support via Tallyhealth.
(00:24):
Patient Voice says it's not good enough and the planned
protest will be going forward. Chair and protest organizer Malcolm
mul Holland is worth me now. Good morning, Malcolm, good morning.
What did you make of the health minister's announcement yesterday?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Ah, I found it underwhelming. I don't think it as
a service that meets in the Napier community, and it
certainly doesn't seem to be a service that, if you like,
you know, is something that was promised to the community
when the hospital shove its stores back in nineteen ninety eight.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
What do the people of Napier need?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I think in particular they want access to a GP
between those out of eight at nine to eight in
the morning. You know, that's been one of the ladin vehicles.
They would much rather see a GP in the flesh
if they are needing urgent care, and right now that's
(01:23):
not a service that's on the table.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
So what would have you liked to have seen from
the Health Minister yesterday, a GP as opposed to a
nurse practitioner and a nurse put made available.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely there are gpp there in the flesh
because there are some issues around a nurse who is
a prescriber. So my understanding is that they can only
prescribe medication for common or for long term conditions. And
I would assume that many people who present to napier
(01:56):
for urgent care wouldn't be in the bracket as well
as the need. So some doctors are quite reluctant to
say via telehealth, this patient is in need of this
medication without actually seeing them in the flesh. So understanding
is depending on who the GP is at the under
(02:16):
end of the line will determine whether or not a
patient will actually receive the medication that they need.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
You got anywhere that you can pick up a prescription after.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Ours a very good question. I don't believe that there is,
and I think that that is one of the services
that the minister has indicated he would like, you know,
there to be more work done and for that to
potentially happen at the Naper Health Center, but right now
there doesn't seem to be something that people who go
(02:46):
there can excess right now.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
So where did the government It sounds like a series
of governments here go wrong with this new plan for Napier.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Well, I think they haven't appreciated. I guess that Napier
is first for a city of sixty seven thousand people
and that whilst there might be ed services available in Hastings,
which as a twenty five minute drive, the people of
Napier do deserve, you know, a robust after our place
(03:21):
with eighteen go to be seen for urgent care, and
that was something that was promised to them. So Napier
citizens do feel like they've been let down and that
the government have not come through with their end of
the deal.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
I mean, Malcolm, there's probably a lot of places around
the country where we're having to drive twenty five minutes
to get to after our care. I mean, there will
be parts of Auckland where you know you'd be driving
at least that to reach care. Is it the issue
to drive or is the issue to fact that you know,
once again, we don't want to be overloading our ed
departments such as the one at hays Thing's Hospital with
(03:59):
cases of dat.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Well, that's right, it is absolutely that, because right now
they will tell you that it's very hard to be
seen hasting ZD. Hasting ZD more times than not is
absolutely full to the brim of not flowing out the door.
So there is the issue. But you've also got people
who I think quite rightfully who live in our city.
(04:22):
You should be able to be seen for urgent care,
not in an emergency situation, but for urgent care. And
keep in mind too that after cyclone Gabriel the city
was actually cut off and so people were able to
commute from Nature to Hastings and that's a big concent
amongst the community, Malcolm.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Is a lack of after ours medical service is an
issue in other areas of the country.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Yeah, No, most definitely, And it seems to be that
the preferred option is to go towards a telehealth model.
So I'm thinking for example, on the West Coast and
Buller where I come from, they've shut down thereafter our clinics.
They were about four or five method amongst the West
Coast there, and there was a real concern amongst some
(05:13):
via that Sellyhealths is not the solution for all. You've
got a predominantly older population, but you've also got pockets
for community that don't have interity or even self ane
access for that matter. So you know, often a lot
of communities are very anxious about in my time of need,
m I going to be able to get access to
(05:33):
in this case emergency services, not just urgent gear.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Malcolm, thank you so much for your time this morning.
That was Malcolm mule Holland there the chair and protest
for more.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
From earlier edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live to News
Talks it'd be from five am weekdays, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
Protests over a lack of after ours medical care in
Napier will go ahead despite an agreement yesterday to enhance
the service. Napier currently has no doctor after APM, meaning
the closest medical care overnight is a twenty five minute
drive to Hastings. Yesterday, Health Minister Simon Brown announced an
increase in the overnight urgent care service in the area,
including access to nurse prescribers and medical support via Tallyhealth.
(00:24):
Patient Voice says it's not good enough and the planned
protest will be going forward. Chair and protest organizer Malcolm
mul Holland is worth me now. Good morning, Malcolm, good morning.
What did you make of the health minister's announcement yesterday?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Ah, I found it underwhelming. I don't think it as
a service that meets in the Napier community, and it
certainly doesn't seem to be a service that, if you like,
you know, is something that was promised to the community
when the hospital shove its stores back in nineteen ninety eight.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
What do the people of Napier need?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I think in particular they want access to a GP
between those out of eight at nine to eight in
the morning. You know, that's been one of the ladin vehicles.
They would much rather see a GP in the flesh
if they are needing urgent care, and right now that's
(01:23):
not a service that's on the table.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
So what would have you liked to have seen from
the Health Minister yesterday, a GP as opposed to a
nurse practitioner and a nurse put made available.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely there are gpp there in the flesh
because there are some issues around a nurse who is
a prescriber. So my understanding is that they can only
prescribe medication for common or for long term conditions. And
I would assume that many people who present to napier
(01:56):
for urgent care wouldn't be in the bracket as well
as the need. So some doctors are quite reluctant to
say via telehealth, this patient is in need of this
medication without actually seeing them in the flesh. So understanding
is depending on who the GP is at the under
(02:16):
end of the line will determine whether or not a
patient will actually receive the medication that they need.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
You got anywhere that you can pick up a prescription after.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Ours a very good question. I don't believe that there is,
and I think that that is one of the services
that the minister has indicated he would like, you know,
there to be more work done and for that to
potentially happen at the Naper Health Center, but right now
there doesn't seem to be something that people who go
(02:46):
there can excess right now.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
So where did the government It sounds like a series
of governments here go wrong with this new plan for Napier.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Well, I think they haven't appreciated. I guess that Napier
is first for a city of sixty seven thousand people
and that whilst there might be ed services available in Hastings,
which as a twenty five minute drive, the people of
Napier do deserve, you know, a robust after our place
(03:21):
with eighteen go to be seen for urgent care, and
that was something that was promised to them. So Napier
citizens do feel like they've been let down and that
the government have not come through with their end of
the deal.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
I mean, Malcolm, there's probably a lot of places around
the country where we're having to drive twenty five minutes
to get to after our care. I mean, there will
be parts of Auckland where you know you'd be driving
at least that to reach care. Is it the issue
to drive or is the issue to fact that you know,
once again, we don't want to be overloading our ed
departments such as the one at hays Thing's Hospital with
(03:59):
cases of dat.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Well, that's right, it is absolutely that, because right now
they will tell you that it's very hard to be
seen hasting ZD. Hasting ZD more times than not is
absolutely full to the brim of not flowing out the door.
So there is the issue. But you've also got people
who I think quite rightfully who live in our city.
(04:22):
You should be able to be seen for urgent care,
not in an emergency situation, but for urgent care. And
keep in mind too that after cyclone Gabriel the city
was actually cut off and so people were able to
commute from Nature to Hastings and that's a big concent
amongst the community, Malcolm.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Is a lack of after ours medical service is an
issue in other areas of the country.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Yeah, No, most definitely, And it seems to be that
the preferred option is to go towards a telehealth model.
So I'm thinking for example, on the West Coast and
Buller where I come from, they've shut down thereafter our clinics.
They were about four or five method amongst the West
Coast there, and there was a real concern amongst some
(05:13):
via that Sellyhealths is not the solution for all. You've
got a predominantly older population, but you've also got pockets
for community that don't have interity or even self ane
access for that matter. So you know, often a lot
of communities are very anxious about in my time of need,
m I going to be able to get access to
(05:33):
in this case emergency services, not just urgent gear.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Malcolm, thank you so much for your time this morning.
That was Malcolm mule Holland there the chair and protest
for more.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
From earlier edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live to News
Talks it'd be from five am weekdays, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
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