WellSouth invests in Dunedin urgent doctor service
A new partnership between WellSouth Primary Health Network and Dunedin After Hours Doctors Limited (DAHDL) will ensure ongoing after hours care for the Dunedin and wider community at Dunedin Urgent Doctors and Accident Centre.
The primary health organisation (PHO) for Otago and Southland has bought a 50% stake in DAHDL, which operates Dunedin Urgent Doctors and Accident Centre.
DAHDL Board Chair Keith Cooper said the partnership will establish a new board, and look to enhance the service for both patients and GPs.
“The board of DAHDL and management are very excited to advance the partnership with WellSouth to enable the sustainability of the service and improve it.”
WellSouth CEO Andrew Swanson-Dobbs says the new board will focus more on outcomes for patients, supporting culturally safe healthcare spaces, accessibility for patients, developing primary care nursing capacity, understanding high-needs patients and ongoing investment for workforce development to keep more clinicians in primary care.
“Over the next 12-24 months, this will include looking at having a kaiawhina patient engagement role at the practice, clear protocols so staff can leave on time after evening shifts, reviewing fees, and ongoing training and development.
“Dunedin urgent doctors on Filleul Street is an important and well-used general practice, with the after-hours service always full. We all want to make sure it can maintain that service for our community, but also remain sustainable for the practice’s workforce,” said Mr Swanson-Dobbs.
WellSouth is funded by Health New Zealand I Te Whatu Ora to subsidise primary care for the Otago and Southland region, and has supported continuity of after-hours services including in Invercargill, Queenstown Lakes and Wanaka.
“We are contractually obliged to support after hours and have been able to secure funds to ensure we can step in when needed. The time has come to use that targeted reserve, and it’s been great to have approval from both the WellSouth and DAHDL boards to move forward,” said Mr Swanson-Dobbs.
DAHDL employs its own general practice staff during business hours, however clinicians from DAHDL and other general practices rotate shifts for the after-hours service from 6pm to 10pm weekdays, and from 8am to 10pm on weekends and public holidays.
Mr Cooper said, “We will establish the new board in the next fortnight, but practice and patients would see no discernible change immediately.
“Our hours and service will remain as current, but we look forward to reviewing how to enhance the service for patients and staff under the new partnership.”
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