Queenstown Medical Centre (QMC) charged a British tourist almost double what a New Zealand resident would pay for a medical consultation because it was working from outdated Ministry of Health information.
QMC chief executive Dr Richard Macharg told the Otago Daily Times the ministry's website used to state a visitor from the United Kingdom should receive the same subsidy as a New Zealand citizen but the wording the centre was interpreting had changed since centre staff last checked last year.
"We accept we were in error in that situation based on the current wording on the [Ministry of Health] website," Dr Macharg said.
"Our understanding is that wording has changed on the website since we last looked at it before it was updated in December 2008."
Englishwoman Sophie Whittaker, in New Zealand on a working holiday visa, reportedly developed an ear infection while working in Blenheim.
A consultation with a doctor cost her $120, plus prescription costs.
In Queenstown several weeks ago, when the condition returned, she visited QMC and was charged $150, which was QMC's standard fee for overseas patients since July 2008.
The charge was $110 before that date.
However, early last week, an inquiry into the eligibility of a discounted consultation for an Australian living and working in Queenstown led staff to check the ministry website again and review the reciprocal medical care agreements with both Australia and the UK.
"In the process of looking at the website, as far as UK reciprocal agreements go, we were not applying it correctly," Dr Macharg said.
"That was changed but we got rather pre-empted."
The change in wording was raised at the scheduled directors' meeting last Thursday.
The QMC website was amended to offer a discounted medical consultation fee for UK residents of $82 on Sunday morning, after a report on Ms Whittaker was broadcast on One News on Saturday night.
A medical consultation for adult registered patients at QMC costs $49.50.
"No-one disseminated to the doctors the wording [on the website] had changed. Unless we were checking that website every week or month, how would I know it had?" Dr Macharg said.
He said there was no subsidy from a primary health organisation for an overseas visitor or non-enrolled New Zealand patient seeking a medical consultation.
"QMC as a GP practice has the right to establish consultation fees for overseas visitors because it does not receive any money for subsidy.
There is no reciprocal payment from the overseas patient's government and $150 was a business decision based on the cost of medical care in Queenstown."
Dr Macharg said QMC would be prepared to look at the difference between the two charges if Ms Whittaker contacted the centre.
A casual, non-enrolled UK and New Zealand patient is charged $68 for a standard medical consultation, at the Wakatipu Medical Centre in Frankton, although "there are so many variables on what may or may not be done in treatment which could drive up the cost", practice manager Phil Markham said.
Dr Macharg said a direct comparison between QMC and WMC was "not necessarily valid" as the Queenstown centre was open longer, for seven days a week, and covered a wider spectrum of ailments from more overseas tourists.
