New after-hours doctor service in pipeline

Press, 11 March 1987, Page 9

New after-hours doctor service in pipeline

Christchurch residents should find it easier to get a doctor after hours from July.

An after-hours medical service — to be run as a co-operative by Christchurch general practitioners — will be established under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.

So far, more than 100 doctors have shown interest in the service, which would run from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. and at week-ends.

Dr lan Robertson, the college board member responsible for practices and premises, said yesterday that a site in Bealey Avenue was being looked at for the centre.

Details were likely to be finalised at a further

planning meeting early next month. At that time, doctors would be invited to buy shares in the company, Christchurch Emergency Services, Ltd, which would run the centre. Shares had to be sold in order to purchase a site.

A unified after-hours service had first been investigated in 1985, he said.

“The investigation started because it was felt that such a service would be established sooner or later and we would rather it happened with a full and proper investigation than just appear. “We believe it is possible and should be practicable for Christchurch general practitioners to work reasonable hours with reasonable time off for a reasonable income.”

Patients of doctors belonging to the service would have their afterhours calls diverted to the centre to be answered by the doctors on duty. “There would no longer be any need for answering machines or vague messages — the idea is for one «• phone number and one premises.”

A record of consultations would be given to patients and copies sent to their doctors. The centre would offer a complete service, from consultations to house calls, said Dr Robertson. “What we want is an after-hours service that is quick, clean and efficient — then during office hours people could go back to their own homespun service.” Such a system had

many advantages for doctors as well as patients, he said.

At present a doctor might be called out once or twice a night with hours between each call. “Under the new service, if a doctor is on duty at a week-end he might work eight hours, do house calls for four hours, and still get eight hours sleep because he is on a roster with others.”

Security for doctors would also be improved because they would be working from one centre. An advantage for patients should be a lower cost per visit. Another planning meeting would be held early next month, and it was hoped to have the service open in July.