Uruuruwhenua Health manager Ricky Carr said a reduction in funding in the past few years meant it had had to cut the number of free health clinics for shearers at their quarters.
Targeted at Maori, the clinics, involving general practitioners, nurses, and health specialists, were run by Uruuruwhenua from July to September.
They were funded by the old Rural Otago Primary Health Organisation before it merged to become WellSouth Primary Health Network.
Funds left over from the old PHO were used to run clinics up until two years ago, but when the money ran out, WellSouth did not continue to fund it.
At present, Uruuruwhenua operates two clinics over the course of the shearing season, July to September, on a small budget.
Mauri Ora worker Donna Grace said the reduction in the number of clinics and no after-hours services in the region was having a ''huge'' impact on the shearing industry workers.
Many shearers worked long hours, which made it difficult to see a doctor or access health services, but Uruuruwhenua was now in a situation where there was an expectation that it would be available regularly.
The clinics made a difference and encouraged Maori to access health services and look after themselves, Mrs Grace said.
Workers were often transient, so when they did access health centres they had to pay more because they were not enrolled, paying between $80 to $100 per session.
Mr Carr said the clinics were often the only time the shearers would see a doctor in a year.
WellSouth chief executive Ian Macara said he appreciated the fixed period clinics were well received.
However, it was a ''problematic'' area, because clinics tried to capture an itinerant population not enrolled in WellSouth and therefore did not attract primary care funding.
WellSouth did continue to support the clinics with equipment, general practitioners and clinical staff.
Mr Carr said sessions from 6pm until late would see 40 to 50 patients any given night, and included services such as smoking cessation, health promotion, and screening for heart disease and diabetes.
The clinics were about intervention before it cost the system more money, he said.
Recently, a young Maori woman discovered through one of the clinics she had cervical cancer and was able to get intervention.
Uruuruwhenua would continue to look at new and existing sources of funding to increase the number of clinics in the future.
