Get to your doctor before Christmas

12 December 2011

Five district health boards covering most of the central North Island say they're determined to keep their 12 emergency departments for real emergencies over the Christmas/New Year period.

And to prompt the region's 830,000 people, who should visit their GP before Christmas Day to fill prescriptions or get checked out, the Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Tairawhiti, Taranaki and Waikato district health boards combined with their primary health organisations to hammer the message home.

"Don't wait - go see your GP now and get organised for Christmas," said Tairawhiti District Health Board Chief Executive, Jim Green.

Whilst the summer season is often a time for families and individuals to celebrate Christmas and the New Year, emergency departments across New Zealand, particularly those in traditional hotspots like the East Coast are stretched to their limits with increasing patient admissions.

Many presentations could be avoided had people gone to their GPs.

New Year's Day is also often the busiest day of the year for emergency departments (ED) at many hospitals.

Waikato Hospital is the tertiary provider, which means its emergency department tends to get the major trauma cases from the central North Island.

Midlands Health Network chief executive John Macaskill-Smith said his message to patients is "don't wait".

The Midlands Health Network is a unified team of primary health care professionals committed to delivering the very best primary health care to nearly 500,000 people in the central North Island regions of the East Coast, Coromandel, Waikato, Taupo, King Country and Taranaki.

"Make an appointment to see your GP and free up the emergency departments to deal with patients who need serious and more urgent medical help," said Mr Macaskill-Smith.

Tairawhiti’s Mr Green repeated the message saying the influx of visitors to Gisborne for summer holidays and the Rhythm & Vines Festival made it even more essential that locals were well prepared.

For more information:

KATHY McVEY

Communications Manager  |  Tairawhiti District Health 

869-0500 ext 8115   |  021 223-7094  |  www.tdh.org.nz