Stuff Digital Edition

General practice aims to fill a gap

Louisa Steyl

The leader of a new iwi-backed general practice in Invercargill knows exactly what happens when the city’s residents can’t get a GP appointment.

The WellSouth primary health network announced plans in February to open a new practice in the city where about 2500 patients were struggling to enrol and the hospital’s emergency department was regularly full of patients who could have been treated by a GP.

Now it has hired the former unit manager for emergency and medicine at Southland Hospital to lead the development of its practice.

Anna Gaitt, who called the new service ‘‘a pivotal point’’ in terms of the way primary care is delivered in Invercargill, starts as service manager on August 9.

Hokonui Ru¯ nanga and Awarua Ru¯ naka joined the project as financial investors in June, and Waiho¯pai Ru¯ naka and Oraka Aparima Ru¯ naka have joined as collaborative partners to make sure the new practice meets the community’s needs.

WellSouth chief executive Andrew Swanson-Dobbs said Gaitt’s experience and connections in Southland would be an asset while the group designed the new service model.

While recruiting GPs was proving challenging amid border restrictions, WellSouth had already received interest from doctors, he said, but starting the service would require full staffing.

The plan was to open a traditional general practice from WellSouth’s Clyde St office as an interim measure while the parties began planning to build a purpose-built facility to offer a full range of health services.

Hokonui Ru¯ nanga executive co-ordinator Terry Nicholas said the ru¯ nanga was committed to meeting the needs of those who had been disadvantaged because they could not access primary health care.

‘‘Many of our communities suffer inequities due to the current system. It is imperative that we not only meet the needs of our existing population but create a model that ensures that there is access for all,’’ he said.

News

en-nz

2021-07-26T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-07-26T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281582358658785

Stuff Limited