Key Takeaways
- The Mornington Medical Centre will no longer provide an after-hours care service, with operating hours now limited to Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
- Dunedin Urgent Doctors has won a government contract to provide a 24/7 after-hours service, which will be supported by a multidisciplinary clinical team and have access to diagnostics, pharmacy, and radiology.
- The new service will operate around the clock and will be monitored regularly by Health New Zealand to ensure it can meet demand.
- Patients are encouraged to still contact the Mornington Medical Centre for urgent matters during the daytime, with plenty of on-the-day bookable appointments available.
- The changes are expected to have implications for other providers, but Health New Zealand is confident the new service will be able to meet demand.
Introduction to the Changes
The Mornington Medical Centre has announced that it will no longer be providing an after-hours care service, as Dunedin Urgent Doctors moves to a 24/7 model. This change in service provision is a result of Dunedin Urgent Doctors successfully winning a government contract to provide a round-the-clock after-hours service. The new operating hours for the Mornington Medical Centre will be from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, with the centre being closed in the evenings and during weekends and public holidays.
Impact on Patients and Staff
The general manager of the Mornington Medical Centre, Marian Rillstone, stated that the changes in the after-hours space in Dunedin may have mixed feelings among patients and staff. On one hand, the new service provided by Dunedin Urgent Doctors will give patients access to a 24/7 after-hours service, which will be supported by a multidisciplinary clinical team and have access to diagnostics, pharmacy, and radiology. On the other hand, the changes may release the burden of working additional hours for general practitioners, allowing them to focus on providing care during regular hours. Despite the changes, patients are still encouraged to contact the Mornington Medical Centre for urgent matters during the daytime, with plenty of on-the-day bookable appointments available.
The New Service
The new service provided by Dunedin Urgent Doctors is expected to open on Wednesday and will operate around the clock. The service will be supported by a multidisciplinary clinical team, with access to diagnostics, pharmacy, and radiology. Health New Zealand will meet regularly with the provider to monitor demand and service performance, ensuring that the service can meet the needs of patients. The service has also partnered with Emergency Consult, a telehealth service designed for urgent and episodic care, which will provide senior ED doctors on hand to support nursing and paramedic staff overnight, between 10pm and 8am.
Operational Pressures
The general manager of Dunedin Urgent Doctors, Adam O’Byrne, stated that there have been significant operational and resource pressures in the lead-up to the start of the new contract. The service has had to find staff to ensure that it can offer the 24/7 service in a clinically safe manner, despite being in a constrained environment. However, with the support of Health New Zealand and the partnership with Emergency Consult, the service is confident that it can meet the demands of patients.
Conclusion and Next Steps
In conclusion, the changes in the after-hours care service provision in Dunedin are expected to have implications for other providers, but Health New Zealand is confident that the new service provided by Dunedin Urgent Doctors will be able to meet demand. The Mornington Medical Centre will continue to provide care during regular hours, with plenty of on-the-day bookable appointments available. Patients are encouraged to still contact the centre for urgent matters during the daytime, and the new service provided by Dunedin Urgent Doctors will be available for after-hours care. As the new service begins, Health New Zealand will monitor its performance and make adjustments as necessary to ensure that patients receive the best possible care.
