Doctors say patient safety not at issue

Patient safety has not been compromised by cuts to after-hours GP services in North Canterbury, a Rangiora doctor says.

After-hours cases have been directed to Christchurch's 24 Hour Surgery in Bealey Ave after medical centres in Rangiora and Kaiapoi last week scrapped weekend and after-5pm weekday services.

Selwyn doctors moved to a similar service in 2008.

Dr Lynne John, of Medical Corner Doctors in Rangiora, said attracting new doctors was proving "impossible" because of the after-hours commitment.

The idea had been "heavily discussed" for the past three years.

"We need to get good, vibrant, new doctors working in the community, doing 99 per cent of the work that's required during the daytime. The thing that seemed to be off-putting was the after-hours," she said.

John said safety was not being compromised.

"We're going to cause inconvenience for the handful of people that have to go into Bealey Ave each night, but it is a handful," she said.

"It leaves us fresh and able to do a fantastic job, hopefully, in preventive care."

Canterbury District Health Board member Jo Kane said she found it "untenable" that two of New Zealand's fastest-growing districts could not sustain after-hours services.

"You'll never convince me that sending 46,000 people back into Christchurch for after-hours services is in the best interests of that community and is a sustainable model," she said.

"I'm not buying into the fact that these are rural practices. These are servicing large urban areas."

Fellow board member Andrew Dickerson said the move went against the Government's priorities.

The whole thrust of Government policy had been around primary health care, with the motto "better, sooner and more convenient", he said.

Dr Phillip Schroeder, of the Rolleston Medical Centre, said patients were already favouring Christchurch because of cost.

"We could not offer to see someone at the same rate that the on-call services in town could, and it was actually becoming too expensive for most patients," he said.

"Calling out a doctor on the weekend, for example, was well beyond what most people could afford."

The Christchurch after-hours facility was "excellent". "People tend to think they're getting a second-rate service, but the 24-hours surgery is actually second to none," he said.

John said general practice was a "whole lifestyle" and young doctors wanted a better work-life balance.

"It's not nine to five, clock in, clock out and forget about everybody. You wake up in the middle the night worrying about your patients," she said.

- © Fairfax NZ News