Three Southland runaka will collaborate with WellSouth’s efforts to open a new general practice clinic in Invercargill.
The primary health organisation announced in February it had decided to open its own medical centre to try to alleviate both issues with provision of after-hours care in Invercargill, and extreme difficulties for new patients trying to register with a GP.
"After the health and disability reforms were announced by the government, we were approached by the runaka who asked if we could do something in partnership to improve access for Maori and people who are unenrolled in the region, and we grabbed the opportunity.
"I think this has enormous possibilities for our region, and it has all been done in association with the DHB."
The clinic will initially open in WellSouth’s Clyde St building, but the longer-term vision was for the clinic to move elsewhere and to operate as a community health hub, Mr Swanson-Dobbs said.
"If we do this well, the outcomes for Southland will be very worthwhile."
There are 331 GPs working in practices affiliated to WellSouth, including 37 locums.
Mr Swanson-Dobbs said Southland had the fewest GPs per 100,000 patients in the SDHB region, and had access to fewer than 20% of available locums.
WellSouth is now recruiting staff for its clinic.
"We have insufficient GPs at the moment. Our training programme takes so long, and recruitment from overseas is so hard, we are struggling to find a workforce."
Clinic project manager Helen Telford said the clinic was part of a larger piece of work aimed at increasing the number of people who went to their GP rather than visiting the Southland Hospital emergency department.
"The model of care was drafted in consultation with local clinicians and iwi and GPs but now needs a complete refresh as we have new people on board," she said.
WellSouth was now talking to GPs about a new system of after-hours care, she said.
