We’re all looking forward to summer and now’s the time to plan for the holiday break.
Like many businesses we will be taking a break over the holiday period to give our practice team a well-deserved rest.
The Practice will close from Friday 20th December 2024 @ 3pm
Normal business hours will resume on Monday 6th January 2025 8.30am – 5.00pm
Please note that some of our doctors and nurses will still be on leave after this date.
If you are an enrolled patient with this practice and need healthcare when we are closed, please call our usual practice phone number (09) 521 5128 to speak to a registered nurse.
If you need a virtual consultation, we recommend CareHQ. CareHQ provides urgent and booked appointments with a real GP from 7am-7pm, 7 days per week. For more information, or to book, visit www.carehq.co.nz
If you have a medical emergency, please dial 111.
The closest accident and medical centre (A&M) to this practice is: White Cross Urgent Care, 110 Lunn Ave, Mt Wellington.
For more information, please see our website www.mgpdoctors.co.nz
Repeat Prescriptions
With the holiday period fast approaching we would like everyone to think ahead and check that you have enough prescription medication to see you through the holiday period. Please order any repeat prescriptions as soon as possible, to avoid pre-Christmas congestion. The fastest and most secure way is via the patient portal. Please note there is a 48 hour turn around period for repeat scripts. Urgent scripts will incur an extra charge, this will include last-minute scripts requested on the 19st and 20th December.
If it’s time for your next check-up, or it will be due during the holidays, please think about booking for this soon as appointment slots before Christmas are filling up fast!
Preparing for Your Appointment
Due to a number of factors, providing health care is becoming more complex. At our clinic, we strive to offer the best care possible within the time available. A standard appointment is 15 minutes, which is only long enough to discuss one major health issue and a minor concern as well. If you have multiple concerns or a complex health issue that requires more time, you can book a double appointment. This will allow us to thoroughly address your issues without the pressure of time constraints. Please note that additional fees apply for extended consultations.
To help you maximize your standard consultation time, before you arrive, think about the issues you want to address. If you have multiple concerns, please tell your doctor at the start of the consultation and don’t leave your primary concern until last. Your doctor can then go through these with you to determine which can be adequately dealt within the time available. Sometimes things are more complicated than anticipated and consultations run over time or additional services are required. There is generally an extra cost for this at the doctor’s discretion.
At the time of booking, it is helpful for you to let us know the reason for your visit, such as routine check-up, new health problem, complex health issue, driving or insurance medical, minor surgery, etc. This allows us to appropriately allocate appointment times. For phone bookings our receptionists may ask you for some information about your visit for this reason. A separate appointment is usually required if more than one family member needs to see the doctor. Payment is expected on the day of your appointments and at the time you order your script. We understand that sometimes you may have difficulty with payment. Please discuss this when booking or at the time consultation.
As well as the time spent with you during a consultation your doctor may spend extra time before or afterwards managing results and reports or sending referrals. Depending on the time involved these may also incur an extra fee.
We care about the service we offer and managing workflow helps us to maintain a high quality of care. As with all things in life the unexpected sometimes happens and things don’t go to plan. We will always give priority to emergencies and urgent health issues and give these as much time as needed.
Pertussis
Pertussis (whooping cough) rates are on the rise in New Zealand. Pertussis is always present in our communities, but every 3-5 years we get a significant rise in cases leading to an outbreak that lasts around 18 months to two years before rates return to a baseline level. There have been ongoing high levels of pertussis cases, and hospitalisations, occurring over the last several weeks indicating the start of a national epidemic. Pertussis can be particularly severe for babies, and they may require hospital care.
Vaccination is an important measure to help prevent infection and transmission of the illness.
Vaccination in pregnancy is safe and recommended from 16 weeks. Boostrix vaccination is funded and encouraged in every pregnancy. This helps to protect new-born babies before they receive their first scheduled vaccines. Vaccination during pregnancy is 92% protective against infant death from pertussis.
Pertussis vaccine is given as part of the routine National Immunisation Schedule to babies at age 6 weeks, 3 months and 5 months. It is important that babies receive their 6-week immunisations on-time.
We encourage all members of the extended whānau, including infants, children and older people to check they are up to date with all immunisations, especially their pertussis boosters. Boosters are funded for people aged 4 years, 11 years, 45 years and 65 years. Some whānau may wish to privately purchase a booster if a new-born baby is expected to join the household.
We ask that if you have respiratory symptoms and are coming into the clinic (even if this isn’t the reason for your visit) you wear a mask.
Measles
A measles case has recently been identified in Auckland in a traveller who had recently returned from Southeast Asia, where there have been ongoing outbreaks of measles in several countries. Aotearoa New Zealand is at very high risk of a measles outbreak because our current childhood MMR vaccination rates are well below the 95% coverage required to prevent an outbreak. Measles spreads very quickly and can cause serious complications.
Please be aware of measles symptoms, including fever, cough and rash.
If you are not immune and have been exposed to measles, MMR vaccination within 72 hours of exposure may provide protection and help limit the spread.
Get vaccinated to protect yourself and your loved ones from catching and spreading measles. If you’re not sure if you need a measles vaccine find out by answering the questions on this immunisation page: https://info.health.nz/immunisations/vaccines-aotearoa/measles-mumps-and-rubella-mmr-vaccine#find-out-if-you-need-a-measles-vaccine-1
Meningitis Vaccines for Students
A reminder there are 2 different meningitis vaccines (Bexsero and Menacra or MenQuadfi) which are currently funded and recommended for young adults 13- to 25-year-olds entering (within the next three months) or currently in their first year of specified close living situations, such as boarding school hostel, university hall of residence, military barracks.
We wish you a happy, safe and restful holiday season. Take care on the roads.
