The economic situation prompted Dunedin Urgent Doctors and Accident Centre to delay redevelopment of its Hanover St premises, but it hopes to reconsider its position by the end of this financial year.
Centre practice manager Belinda Watkins said yesterday it had been hoped work would begin last year, but uncertainty about the effect the downturn of the economy might have meant plans were temporarily on hold.
"We will be revisiting that, probably at least by the end of the financial year."
She was confident the plans would proceed, but it was just a matter of when.
She was not prepared to disclose the value of the planned building changes.
Changes will include altering the existing reception space and adding a resuscitation room which will be used for acute patients needing to travel by ambulance to Dunedin Hospital.
Mrs Watkins said this addition would make access to ambulances, which pull up outside the front of the building, much easier.
Space in the building was always at a premium, but staff were very resilient and coped well with the situation.
The service has been busier than expected over the holiday period, with December 29 particularly hectic.
Six ambulances attended the centre that day and, at one stage, one ambulance took two patients to hospital - not a usual event.
Some patients had three-hour waits to be seen.
"It was absolutely packed."
Mrs Watkins said there did not seem to be any particular cause for the high numbers, although some medical practices were closed between Christmas and New Year.
There were a variety of conditions presented, with some quite severe illnesses and "quite complex things".
That day the centre, which has two doctors rostered on at all times, saw 110 people in 16 hours.
A usual day would involve between 80 and 100 patients.
Many of the people seen were tourists.
The number of patients seen at the centre, which is open between 8am and 11.30 pm, has been increasing significantly in recent years, with 30,401 visits recorded last financial year, up 2500 on the previous year.
