Alex Hickey
Napier doctors are using free taxis to transport Maori, Pacific Island and some low-income European patients to their appointments.
The free taxis are available to all Maori and Pacific Islanders, regardless of their income, but only to Europeans living within certain Napier streets or holding a community service card or high-user health card.
They are provided by Napier Taxis and funded through the Hawke's Bay Primary Health Organisation (PHO) under its "service to improve access" (SIA) funding formula.
The scheme is funded in the same way as the free diabetes clinics that were reported in Hawke's Bay Today recently.
The clinics, free to all Maori and Pacific Islanders, were initially available to Europeans that lived in specific streets but were eventually extended to all community service or high-user health card holders.
PHO chairman Hamish Kynoch said the taxi service improved access to health services for high-need health groups in Napier.
It was a way to get patients, from deprived areas in Napier, to GPs' surgeries if they had difficulty making an appointment.
Mr Kynoch said the patient would contact the receptionist at the surgery if they could not make the appointment. The receptionist would then book a taxi for the patient if they fulfilled the criteria.
"A number of GPs already run their own bus services to get patients to and from appointments," he said.
The funding was allocated on the basis that it would reduce health inequalities and barriers to accessing health services.
Mr Kynoch denied the service was race-based.
The primary health strategy was set up to direct funding to those people with high health needs, Mr Kynoch said.
Ministry of Health information showed that the health of Maori, Pacific Islanders and people from deprived areas was "significantly worse" than other New Zealanders.
It made sense to direct the limited funding to those groups that were most in need.
By 2007 the Ministry hoped to extend the funding and make healthcare cheaper for all users of primary health, he said.
It had already became cheaper for five to 18-year-olds and those over 65.
Napier Taxis managing director, John Hart, said his company was contracted by the PHO to run a taxi service for patients. He would make no other comment in relation to the service.
Shakespeare Road medical centre GP William Thompson, who is believed to have tabled the proposal to the PHO, was unavailable for comment.
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