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Get to your doctor before xmas say five central North Island DHB Five district health boards covering most of the central North Island say they're determined to keep their 12 emergency departments for real emergencies over the Christmas/New Year period.And to prompt the region’s 830,000 people, who should visit their GP before Christmas Day to fill prescriptions or get checked out, the Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Tairawhiti, Taranaki and Waikato district health boards combined with their primary health organisations to hammer the message home. "Don't wait - go see your GP now and get organised for Christmas." Whilst the summer season is often a time for families and individuals to celebrate Christmas and the New Year, emergency departments across New Zealand, particularly those in traditional hotspots like the Coromandel, Tauranga, Rotorua, New Plymouth and Taupo are stretched to their limits with increasing patient admissions. Many presentations could be avoided had people gone to their GPs. New Year’s Day is also often the busiest day of the year for emergency departments (ED) at many hospitals. Waikato Hospital is the tertiary provider, which means its emergency department tends to get the major trauma cases from the central North Island. Midlands Health Network chief executive John Macaskill-Smith said his message to patients is "don't wait". The Midlands Health Network is a unified team of primary health care professionals committed to delivering the very best primary health care to nearly 500,000 people in the central North Island regions of the East Coast, Coromandel, Waikato, Taupo, King Country and Taranaki. "Make an appointment to see your GP and free up the emergency departments to deal with patients who need serious and more urgent medical help," said Mr Macaskill-Smith. Hugh Kininmonth, chief executive of Te Korowai in the Thames Coromandel repeated the message saying the influx of summer visitors to the Coromandel made it even more essential that locals were well prepared. Te Korowai Hauora O Hauraki is a tribally based primary health organisation serving Thames Coromandel, Waihi and Whitianga. ENDS Date: 9 December 2011 Contact: Mary Anne Gill Communications Director Waikato District Health Board 021 705 213 Diana Marriott Communications Manager Bay of Plenty District Health Board DDI: 07 579 8029 Mobile: 021 227 0452 Kathy McVey Communications Manager Tairawhiti District Health 869-0500 ext 8115 021 223-7094 Sue Wilkie Communications Officer Lakes District Health Board Private Bag 3023 Rotorua DDI: 07 349 7944 Fax: 07 349 7868 Mb 027 242 3652 Sue Carrington Taranaki DHB Media Adviser Ph 021 367 789 |