News

Summer Holidays 2020-21

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As this unique year draws to a close we would like to wish all our patients a safe and happy holiday season.

Tarawera Medical Centre will be open as normal except on the stat holidays of Christmas Day, Monday 28th December, New Years Day and Monday 4 December. These days will be covered by the usual after hours service based at Whakatane Hospital.

A year ago we could not have anticipated what 2020 would bring us and despite being in one of the most fortunate positions in the world COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the practice. Managing the sudden change to largely virtual consults during the lockdown was challenging and the return to level 1 a relief.

We are still losing a GP and nurse session a day to COVID-19 because we still need to see all respiratory conditions in our cabin with PPE. This is making it difficult to keep up with all the other usual tasks and is causing some longer than usual waits for appointments. Almost all patients have been very supportive and understanding of these difficult circumstances.

As 2021 progresses we are going to be faced with the challenge of rolling out vaccines. This going also be a drain on resources but a positive one as it will hopefully get us closer to a new normal and enable more efficient practice if the COVID-19 threat can be reduced by wide vaccine coverage.

We hope you all enjoy a restful and safe holiday season.

Kawerau COVID update 26 September 2020

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After yesterday’s news about Kawerau residents having been in contact with confirmed positive COVID cases there were already some inaccurate rumours circulating yesterday afternoon. It is important to share accurate updated information now available.

There is ONE Kawerau resident who is a close contact. They were contacted on Wednesday morning 23 September by Public Health and moved into managed isolation outside of Kawerau on Wednesday evening. Their initial COVID test is negative and they will remain in isolation for 14 days and be retested as per standard guidelines.

There are no other close contacts in Kawerau.

No businesses have been asked to close by Public Health.

The swabbing centre that is open tomorrow at the Ron Hardie Recreation Centre from 10am to 2pm was scheduled some weeks ago and is not in response to this single close contact.

Kawerau COVID testing Sunday 27 Sept 10am-2pm

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With Kawerau making the news as a location that has residents who were in contact with COVID positive cases in Taupo, there is going to be a community swabbing centre running this Sunday 27 September from 10:00am to 2:00pm. This will be at the usual location, the Ron Hardie Recreation Centre.

Close contacts have been contacted by Public Health and are being managed with isolation and testing. It is important for anyone with symptoms to get a test done and to remain at home if sick.

Please take the opportunity to get a test on Sunday if you feel you need one. Do not wait for after the weekend as we have very limited capacity for swabbing in General Practice.

Nurses Strike. COVID-19 Update 2 September 2020

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Thursday 3 September is the second strike announced by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation to press for pay parity with their DHB employed colleagues. As part of the General Practice team we are in full support of this. Pay parity is essential to enable us to maintain equity and a fair chance of recruiting nurses to maintain service to the community.

As a Very Low Cost Access practice we have no control over the fees we can charge. All our charges are stipulated by our contract with the Department of Health so we are reliant on them to increase payment to achieve pay parity for nurses.

The initial strike was for 2 hours which we managed to accommodate but on Thursday is for 8 hours from 8am to 4pm. With our Nursing and Reception team unavailable for that time we are not able to safely open so the Tarawera Medical Centre will be closed on Thursday 3 September.

The appointments lost on this day have been moved to Tuesday and Friday. On Thursday urgent problems will have to be dealt with via ED. Healthline is also available for advice on 0800 611 116. The COVID swabbing clinic is also open on Thursday from 10am to 2pm.

From Friday 4 September we will be opening the surgery again but require everyone entering the practice to wear a mask. If you do not have one we can supply masks for $1 each. People with respiratory symptoms will need to use their vehicle as their personal waiting room until being seen in the cabin behind the surgery.

COVID-19 Update 31 July 2020

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Waiting Room display by tamariki of Room 6, Kawerau South School

Things are slowly settling into a “new normal” with the risk of COVID-19 significantly diminished. Our waiting room is again open but we need to keep numbers low with safe spacing. This means that the previous walk-in clinics can no longer be safely run. We still have morning clinics for brief urgent problems but these are all by appointment only, so please phone if you want to book into this clinic. We still offer phone consultations if you feel your problem can be managed in this way.

We still need to keep people with respiratory illnesses outside of the main surgery building as much as possible to limit the risk of spreading illness to staff or other patients. Signs are displayed prominently asking anyone with coughs or colds to put on a mask and contact us from their car. They are then triaged to be seen in the surgery or in the cabin behind the surgery. Please follow this advice to help us to keep delivering safe services to the community.

We have unfortunately had a number of people wander in and ignore the information, sit coughing in the waiting room and then head in to see a doctor or nurse while clearly infectious. This places the whole service at risk as when any of us come down with illness we can no longer come in to work. Please be considerate of others and stay away from work while sick.

The COVID-19 lockdown has seen a dramatic decrease in winter colds but this gain will be quickly lost if sick people spread the viruses through the community and we drop our guard with cough etiquette and hand hygiene.

On a brighter note we have had a lovely display put up in the waiting room by the tamariki of Room 6 at Kawerau South School as an appreciation for essential workers that kept things running through lockdown. This has really brightened the waiting room and, along with all the cherry trees bursting into bloom, reminded us that Spring is on the way