Comments on social media suggest the situation has been ongoing for several weeks, although East Otago Health’s website lists two GPs as accessible for the service.
While some patients have said they did not mind seeing a nurse practitioner instead, they felt that overall they had been shortchanged by the system.
Well South chief executive Andrew Swanson-Dobbs said continued underinvestment in primary care, from successive governments, had led to a shortage of staff across New Zealand and this region was no exception.
"Patients should be confident with the care and support provided by all the staff at East Otago Health.
"Nurse Practitioners provide a valuable service to any general practice and the patients should be confident in the care provided."
Asked what patients in the East Otago region requiring a GP should do, Mr Swanson-Dobbs replied: "My suggestion is to make contact with the practice as the NPs working there are very capable to meet the patients’ needs".
Health campaigner and Buller Declaration author Malcolm Mulholland said the situation in East Otago was repeating itself across the country.
"The experience in that region is nothing new ... the spread and distribution of health services throughout the country is inequitable.
"We need to stop being so reliant on trying to fill the gaps with international recruitments."
The Buller Declaration is a petition calling upon the government to address the quality of the country’s health system and services.
It has received more than 5000 signatures, and will be presented to Parliament in November.
Mr Mulholland said there were examples, such as Central Hawke’s Bay, where public pressure meant the community was able to maintain GP services.
