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Health authorities are not ruling out cancelling funding for a Lower Hutt GP clinic with 9000 patients, on the grounds that it is failing to provide them adequate care.
High Street Health Hub's parent company Green Cross told RNZ its "interim clinical service model" of in-person and virtual care was meeting patients' needs.
However, its funder - Te Awakairangi Health Network - said the primary health organisation was still in discussion with Green Cross about its plan to meet its contractual obligations.
"It is our preference to work with Green Cross Health while they resolve this extremely unfortunate situation," Te Awakairangi chief executive Cherie Seamark said. "However, we are considering all options open to us."
Primary Health Organisations (PHOs), which distribute government funding to GPs and other providers, can deduct funding for not delivering services - or even cancel a contract. However, PHOs must also ensure that enrolled patients have ongoing access to care.
Following several resignations over recent months, High Street Health Hub was left with just one GP (who was based at another clinic in Upper Hutt) and one nurse on site, which meant most patients could no longer be offered face-to-face consultations.
Green Cross national operations manager Andrew Tucker said it had recruited a full-time experienced GP, who would join the team providing face-to-face consultations on Monday, 15 July. The new recruit would initially work at the Silverstream clinic in Upper Hutt, where the other doctor was based.
Their work would be "complemented" by GPs from Green Cross' national virtual health team, providing dedicated video appointments and prescription requests, plus two on-site nurses, a health improvement practitioner, clinical pharmacist and support staff.
"Further, we expect to have bolstered staffing levels to five nurses and five GPs (onsite and virtual) dedicated to High Street patients in the next seven weeks," Tucker said. "We are also recruiting for roles that can support GPs, such as paramedics based in primary care."
Green Cross was working through its contract requirements with the PHO during this "interim period of reduced staffing".
"We believe our interim clinical service model of both in person and virtual care services meet the requirements of the contract. Our focus currently is ensuring patients have access to healthcare, in varying manners that are suitable and clinically appropriate."
The head of Green Cross' virtual care network, Dr Kim Hurst, said it had been a "challenging" few months for the practice - but they were now seeing good results.
"High Street Health Hub patients' wait times are now comparable with other practices in Hutt Valley."
Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora said it was in regular contact with Te Awakairangi Health Network to "urgently resolve" the GP access constraints.
Te Whatu Ora regional wayfinder Tricia Keelan said the PHO had requested further detail and assurance from Green Cross over its plan.
The PHO had offered "several types of support to assist as Green Cross looks to restore the service to an acceptable level of care", she said.
"While access to GP services is very constrained in the Hutt, we can advise that the Upper Hutt Health Centre is accepting new enrolments. Across the wider Wellington region a number of practices are also still enrolling - these can be seen on the Tū Ora Compass Health website and include, but are not limited to: Onslow, Mana, Newlands, Johnsonville, Thorndon and Tawa.
"These practices provide an alternative option for people living in the Hutt Valley who are having difficulty enrolling at a local practice, however we recognise that there may be an increased travel distance for some patients."
