December 18, 2015
For after hours care phone your General Practice
Selwyn residents requiring after hours health care are being encouraged to phone their General Practice Team in the
first instance unless it’s an emergency.
The reminder comes after a change to the way after-hours health services in the Templeton, Rolleston, Lincoln and
Leeston areas of Selwyn are provided.
Practices will no longer take after-hours calls up to 8pm on weekdays as some of them have done in the past. Instead
patients’ calls to after-hours will be redirected to a registered nurse triage system – this is the system in use
throughout Canterbury, and much of New Zealand.
The change takes effect on Christmas Eve.
Carolyn Gullery, Canterbury DHB General Manager Planning and Funding, says for most people nothing will change in terms
of what to do when they need after hours health care.
“If you require emergency health care at any time, continue to dial 111 for the ambulance. For health advice, please
phone your usual General Practice Team on their usual phone number,” Carolyn says.
“After hours your call will be answered by a registered nurse who can provide health advice and advise you on what to do
or where to go if you need to be seen by a doctor.
Patients can also access urgent care 24 hours a day at the Pegasus Health 24 Hour Surgery on Bealey Ave or at Riccarton
Clinic or Moorhouse Medical Centre, between 8am – 8pm seven days per week.
“Canterbury DHB is committed to ensuring the community has access to general practice services any time of the day or
night, weekdays and weekends.
“The national criteria for access to general practice care for acute services states that services must be made
available to 90 percent of the enrolled population within 60 minutes travel time.
“Canterbury falls well within this limit.”
If you have any questions about after-hours health care, please contact your own General Practice Team. If you don’t
have one, check our website for contact details of General Practice Teams throughout Canterbury.
www.cdhb.health.nz and click on ‘Family Doctors.’
ENDS