Alright, so like, apparently some patients who need help at a Palmerston North after-hours clinic might be in for a shock when they see their bill. It could be more than $200, which is like, crazy expensive, man. The clinic in Palmerston North is one of the priciest places in all of New Zealand to get medical care. The cost ranges from $225 to $260 for a medical consult if you’re not enrolled, and between $85 to $110 if you are enrolled. That’s a lot of cash, bro.
The government recently announced that they’re gonna pump $164 million into urgent care services all over the country in the next four years. They’re gonna set up new 24/7 urgent care services in places like Auckland’s Counties Manukau, Whangārei, Palmerston North, Tauranga, and Dunedin. Plus, they’re extending daytime urgent care services in spots like Lower Hutt, Invercargill, and Timaru. Hopefully, this will make things more affordable for peeps who need medical help.
Now, I’m not really sure why the clinic in Palmerston North charges so much. Some dude from Patient Voice Aotearoa mentioned that the number of doctors there has gone down because some of them retired. Apparently, the clinic is short of around 10 doctors, which is a big problem. The few doctors left are working crazy hours and are super stressed. The clinic has reached out to other doctors in the region for help, but they’re still struggling. Hopefully, with the government’s new investment in training more GPs and nurse practitioners, things will start looking up for these clinics.