Practice care

be well | practice care

Practice care

Our doctors, nurses and receptionists, are here to help and advise you towards better health, providing a high quality, cost-effective service you and your family can rely on. This part of our website helps you get the most from your practice visit.

How much to see a GP?

Wondering what it will cost to see a GP in a medical practice in our group? We publish all the standard consultation prices on each centre's webpage: just select a centre near you from the Medical Centres tab in our menu bar. In every case, it will cost you a lot less if you are enrolled, rather than a casual patient. Being enrolled and seeing the same doctor each time is better for your health too.

'Flu update

If you are developing flu-like symptoms and you have a long term or chronic condition, don't delay seeing your GP or practice nurse. They are best placed to help you avoid complications. We recommend you phone ahead to make an appointment and let the practice know you have flu-like symptoms. It's often a good idea to speak to the practice nurse first.

Be enrolled

Are you enrolled at your medical centre? Benefits include:

Pay less to see the doctor
Pay less for prescriptions (for subsidised medicines prescribed by your doctor)
Preferential appointment bookings

Practice nurses

Practice nurses are available as part of our team to help you. They are fully trained to deal with initial medical enquiries and advice, health screening, assessment of minor medical problems and to follow up conditions such as asthma and diabetes. They also arrange for immunisations and assist with maternity care.

Our nurses often run special clinics for such health needs as weight management, cardiovascular advice, cervical smears, asthma and diabetes review and support for those who want to stop smoking. These clinics offer personal guidance and support, encouraging you to take an active role in maintaining your health.

Go to your medical centre's page to see what clinics are available, and to book into a nurse clinic, please contact the receptionist.

Repeat prescriptions

We are normally happy to provide repeat prescriptions to enrolled patients for certain stable conditions. You will have to see your GP for regular reviews and monitoring to review your progress and help you improve your health. Please allow us enough time for repeat prescription requests to be processed - usually up to 24 hours. There is a small charge for this service.

Back

Check-ups and reminders

Preventing ill health is an established goal of modern general practice. There are several ways of helping to prevent disease in our lives, such as stopping smoking, exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet and cutting down on alcohol, reducing stress. Regular health checks can help prevent illnesses which can be ‘silent’ at an early stage.

For example you should have your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD - heart disease and stroke) checked if you are a man over 45 or a woman over 55. If you are Maori, Pacific Island, Asian, or have other risk factors such as smoking, your risk should be assessed 10 years earlier.

Ask your doctor or practice nurse what regular check-ups you should be having. Some medical centres in our group now offer special wellness clinics to help keep your health on track. And if you are an enrolled patient we can send you reminders for the following check-ups:

Fees & charges

A chart of standard patient charges is displayed in each medical centre's reception area, and on their webpage on this site. There is a higher charge for consultations after we close, whether we see you at the centre or at your home. If you’re not sure what you will be charged, please ask our receptionists.

All practices in our group are a member of a local Primary Health Organsation (PHO) which funds the practice for the care of enrolled patients. Enrolled patients pay less than casual patients to see the doctor or nurse, and also have access to many free or part-funded services such as chronic care clinics. Some procedures are also funded by the government, including childhood immunisations and maternity care supplementary to your Lead Maternity Carer in the first trimester.

If you are a New Zealand resident the government also pays for most of each ACC claim, although you will be expected to pay a part charge and the cost of materials that ACC doesn’t cover.

Protect yourself

Free seasonal flu vaccines are now available to everyone. Reduce your chances of getting the 'flu — phone or call in to your medical centre today for an appointment for your annual 'flu shot. Call your medical centre for an appointment.

Please note - the current 'flu vaccine is for 'seasonal 'flu' only - not for Influenza A (H1N1) or 'swine 'flu'.

Appointments

Making an appointment is easy, and is the best way to ensure you will see your usual GP. Simply call your medical centre and tell us your preferred appointment time, and give an idea of your appointment is for. You don’t need to give personal details if you don’t want to.

Once we know the general nature of your appointment we can book the right amount of time for you. For some practices in our group, we are now accepting appointment requests by email, for consultations at least two days ahead. Go to 'Appointment booker' in the menu bar.

Telephone advice

General medical advice is available by phone for enrolled patients. Our practice nurses handle general advice and enquiries when your doctor is busy.

If you prefer to speak to your doctor, you can leave a message saying what your call is about, and the doctor may be able to call back when they are free. Usually it is quicker to speak to one of the nurses. If the nurse is busy, please leave a message with the receptionist including some information on the reason for your call, and we will call you as soon as possible. All appointments should always be booked with the receptionist, not the doctors or nurses.

Remember that doctors cannot carry out an effective consultation by phone and in most cases you should book to see your doctor.

Healthcare services

Medical centres in our group provide convenient access to a wide range of healthcare services.

Home visits (enrolled patients only)
When there is a genuine medical need for a home visit, we will try to send your regular GP but this may not always be possible. In such cases, the first available doctor will attend to you at home. If you need a house call, please phone the centre and discuss your request with the practice nurse.

Family planning
We offer advice on all aspects of fertility and contraception. Our advice and treatment are always confidential to patients. See also our section on vasectomies, below.

Maternity care
Midwives work in many of our centres. They will care for you during your pregnancy, delivery and after the baby is born, and can also visit you at home. They are working in close partnership with other health professionals in the medical centre.

Travel vaccinations
It pays to plan well in advance if you need travel vaccinations. Depending on your journey, you may find that you need more than one dose of certain vaccines, and six weeks may be required between two or more sets of inoculations. We recommend discussing your travel plans with a practice nurse at least two months before you travel.

Occupational health

As an employer you know that your most valued asset is your workforce. It makes good business sense to ensure as far as possible that your staff remain physically and medically fit for work. Occupational health is a unique branch of healthcare which deals specifically with the health needs of people at work.

Occupational health looks at the way an employee’s health can affect their medical and physical ability to perform the duties and tasks for which they are employed. It also examines the effects that work activities can have on employees.