After hours Temuka/Geraldine
From August 16, 2011, several general practices in Temuka and Geraldine withdrew from providing after-hours services to patients. They are Temuka Health Care, Temuka Family Practice, Wood Street Surgery in Temuka, and Dr Scott's Surgery in Geraldine. A second practice in Geraldine, Four Peak Health (Dr Moginie), is continuing to offer after-hours services to patients as usual.
The number of patients needing after-hours GP treatment in these areas is very low, but the DHB is committed to ensuring that an after-hours GP service will be provided to the people of Temuka and Geraldine in the long-term. In the meantime, patients can access after-hours services in the following way:
In an emergency, dial 111 for an ambulance.
If it's not an emergency, phone the After-Hours GP Line on 03 684 8209.
A registered nurse will answer the phone and direct you to the appropriate care, including a GP if necessary.
Click here to read a media statement about this issue.
Click here to read a statement from the Temuka Grey Power meeting on September 22
Taxi Shuttle for Temuka/Geraldine Patients
A taxi shuttle operated by Timaru Taxis can be booked by Geraldine and Temuka people needing access to the after-hours surgery at Dee Street at weekends and public holidays.
Each Saturday, Sunday and public holiday the taxi shuttle will be available to pick up patients at the following stops, but only if it is booked at least an hour in advance:
9am – Outside the Geraldine Public Library
9.15am – Outside the Temuka Public Library
9.30am – Arrive at the Dee Street After-Hours GP Surgery, Timaru
When all the patients on the shuttle have been seen by the doctor, the shuttle will return them to their pick-up point. This service is solely for the use of GP patients and does not drop passengers at any other place.
To book your free ride on the taxi shuttle, please phone Timaru Taxis on 03 688-8899 before 8.15am on the morning of your doctor visit so they know you need a ride to the after-hours surgery in Timaru.
Due to space availability, please only bring one caregiver or helper per patient.
The usual fee applies to see the doctor and can be paid before leaving the after-hours clinic.
Geraldine patients: please note that Four Peak Health (Dr Moginie) continues to offer after-hours GP services in Geraldine.
Questions and Answers
Is there any change to the service normally offered by the Temuka/Geraldine GPs during business hours?
No, normal services will continue during business hours. The advice on this web page applies when people need help after-hours, that is from 5pm to 8.30am on week-days, at weekends and on public holidays.
How has the after-hours service changed?
Nothing has changed for patients of Four Peak Health (Dr Moginie) in Geraldine.
In the past, the GPs in Temuka and Geraldine worked a shared after-hours roster and patients from both towns would see whoever was on the roster. So for example, if a Temuka GP was rostered on, patients from both towns would travel to see that GP in Temuka after hours.
Now that some GPs in Temuka/Geraldine have stopped providing this service, patients from those towns might be seen by a GP working on the Timaru GP after-hours roster. This means patients might be asked to see a Timaru GP instead of one in Geraldine/Temuka.
This arrangement only applies to people needing non-urgent care. Emergencies will still be picked up by ambulance and taken to Timaru Hospital as always.
What happens when I phone the After-Hours GP Line on 03 684 8209?
You will speak to a registered triage nurse who will ask questions about your health problem and will give you advice on where to seek treatment. There are several options:
- The nurse might suggest you visit the Timaru duty doctor. Depending on who is on duty that day you may need to travel to that doctor's surgery, or to the after-hours surgery at Dee Street.
- Or the nurse might tell you to go to the Emergency Department at the hospital. In this situation she will notify the hospital and they will be expecting you.
- Or the nurse might advise you are safe to wait until the next morning when your regular GP comes back on duty.
- Or the nurse might provide you with self-help advice to solve your problem.
Is this arrangement used successfully anywhere else in South Canterbury?
Yes. For the past year Pleasant Point people have been using their local GP for business hours consultations, and Timaru GPs for after-hours service. Also, doctors in Timaru, Waimate and Pleasant Point have been diverting their phones to the After-Hours GP Line for over a year.
In the past when I have phoned my Temuka/Geraldine GP after-hours, the phone has been answered by a triage nurse. Is this the same person as the nurse who answers the After-Hours GP Line?
Yes. Some GPs in Geraldine and Temuka have been diverting their phones to the After-Hours GP Line for a while now, so their patients will already be used to speaking to the triage nurse.
Is the after-hours number the same as the number advertised by the Timaru After-Hours GP service?
Yes. The After-Hours GP Line has been operating the same way for Timaru people since the end of 2009.
Why can't Temuka/Geraldine people just drive to the hospital and get treated at the Emergency Department?
The Emergency Department is for emergencies only. People with the type of non-urgent health problems normally seen by a GP can expect to wait several hours if the department is busy, or might be told to visit their GP the next day. If you are thinking of driving to the hospital, phone the After-Hours GP line first. If the triage nurse agrees that the hospital is the best place for you, she will phone ahead and let them know to expect you.
Will Temuka/Geraldine people be using the Timaru After-Hours clinics that are held at Dee Street on Saturday and Sunday?
Yes, these clinics are already used by many patients from Temuka and Geraldine and this will continue. It would still pay to phone the triage nurse on the After-Hours GP Line before you go.
Will Temuka/Geraldine people be paying more for after-hours services as a result of this change?
There is no extra charge for Temuka/Geraldine patients to use Timaru GP services. They will pay the same as what Timaru patients pay.
If you need more information or have any questions about the after-hours service, feel free to Contact Us. The website Contact Us service does not provide health advice. Please phone 03 684 8209 and speak to the nurse if you are sick and need to see a doctor.