Aroha mai, South City Health during an outbreak can get under a lot of pressure providing remote care for a high number of COVID-19 patients who are self-managing their illness at home. Some of our team members also need to be in isolation with their whānau, so we can also become short staffed.

We are still here for you though so please don’t put off getting in touch if you’re unwell.

We can get inundated with phone calls, so it will take longer than usual to get through. We’re also doing things a bit differently to ensure people get the right medical care as soon as possible.

Here’s what you can expect.

• It will take some time to get through to the practice. Please consider leaving a message with the nurses line for a call back, or using the patient portal to access your medical records, view test results and order repeat prescriptions.

• A doctor will discuss your concerns during a phone triage call to decide on the most appropriate way to meet your needs. Sometimes a nurse will be able to help.

• Some GP consultations will be available for people who need to be seen kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face). There will probably be a longer than usual wait time to get an appointment.

• Doctors will also be booking virtual consultations, which allow you to have a telephone or video appointment from home.

• Routine or non-urgent appointments may be postponed.

Emergency departments remain available for emergencies. 

If it’s not an emergency, you can call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free 24-hour health advice or find health information at https://healthify.nz/

You can go to a pharmacy to ask for advice on minor medical issues or health concerns.  

Please note: If you have had COVID-19 you can return to childcare, school or work after 7 days of isolation, if you have no symptoms. You do not need a RAT test after 7 days to prove you no longer have it, and we are unable to provide RAT tests for this purpose.

Thank you for your patience. We want everyone to receive the care they need, and we’re doing our best to make that happen.