Tauranga Hospital's emergency department has experienced a surge in the number of patients turning up with influenza and respiratory problems.
Tauranga Hospital's emergency medicine clinical director Dr Derek Sage said emergency department presentations last month were 6.7 per cent higher than in 2013.
"We are at the peak of the season for presentations such as influenza and respiratory conditions and are experiencing consistently high numbers. And whilst the seasonal pattern of presentations is similar to previous years the numbers presenting are higher," he said.
Last weekend 290 people attended the emergency department (ED) and 292 the previous weekend, compared to 246 and 236 presentations during the corresponding weekends in 2013.
Average waiting times for the past two weekends were 116 minutes (August 16-17) and 113 minutes (August 9-10).
People with minor ailments should seek advice from their GP, or a pharmacist for over-the-counter treatments.
"The ED should not be used as a screening department," Dr Sage said.
Bay of Plenty District Health Board's medical officer Dr Jim Miller urged people to to take advantage of the free influenza vaccination campaign.
Dr Miller said the influenza season seems to have started later than usual this year, and the A (H1N1) influenza strain was the most common across the country, including locally.
The government-subsidised free influenza immunisation campaign comes to an end on August 31 but will still be available at a cost after that date.