Urgent care in Napier closed overnight due to staffing issues

Napier Health has a nurse-provided overnight urgent care service. Photo / Google Maps, Screenshot

By Pretoria Gordon of RNZ

An overnight urgent care provider in Hawke’s Bay was closed on Sunday night and for a number of other days in January because of staffing issues.

The service was also closed from January 1 to January 4.

The same reason caused it to close for six nights in December and four nights in November.

The Health Minister confirmed in March 2025 that the Government would invest in the overnight urgent care service for Napier.

The service was a nurse-provided overnight urgent care service at Napier Health, run through Health New Zealand, operating between 8pm and 8am, seven days a week. It was put in place after the closure of Napier Hospital in 1998.

Health New Zealand had proposed removing the overnight urgent care service and replacing it with a telehealth option, but Simeon Brown announced in March that it would be retained following consultation.

The proposal had sparked community backlash, and a protest had been planned, according to Hawke’s Bay Today.

In a report leaked to Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2025, Health New Zealand wrote that workforce shortages have made it “increasingly difficult” to keep these services fully staffed, “resulting in the service sporadically closing early”.

Napier MP Katie Nimon said there had been ongoing issues because of a low number of staff.

“And then, as soon as you have an unplanned absence, which happens in any organisation, you know, one staff member not being able to do a shift that they were already going to be doing, it means that the overnight service is forced to close,” she said.

“There’s no backup plan.”

Nimon understood it had closed about once a fortnight throughout 2025.

The community had to travel 15km to the hospital in Hastings, or use the telehealth service, she said.

She added Health New Zealand had been working hard to find an alternative, and had told her closure was the last option.

In a statement, Health NZ group director of operations Hawke’s Bay David Warrington said the service is staffed by two registered nurses on site overnight, and was supported by overnight security personnel.

“Nursing staff have access to virtual medical clinicians for consultation when required. Operational management of overnight nursing staff is co-ordinated through the emergency department at Hawke’s Bay Hospital. In circumstances where staff illness cannot be covered, the service is required to close, as occurred [on Sunday] night.

“Since August 13, 2025, the service has seen an average of 4.4 patients per night.”

Warrington said the overnight service would be open on Monday evening.

“Emergency care remains available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at the Hawke’s Bay Hospital Emergency Department.

“It is important to distinguish between urgent care and emergency care to ensure patients receive appropriate treatment in a timely manner. Emergency care is for life-threatening or serious conditions, including chest pain, major injuries, stroke symptoms, or serious accidents. Patients with critical or immediately life-threatening conditions should attend the Emergency Department or call 111 without delay.

“Urgent care is for conditions that are not life-threatening but cannot safely wait until the next day for treatment. Examples include minor infections, sprains, or worsening fever overnight.”

Nimon said she had also been working with Brown and the Ministry of Health to find a long-term solution.

“Sometimes these things are really unavoidable, and you can’t double your staffing just in case of emergencies, but we need to make sure these services are resilient.”

Previously, Brown said Health New Zealand would consider contracting the service back to a private provider.

Brown said he had made it clear to Health New Zealand that a solution had to be found to maintain Napier Health Centre’s overnight service.

“Not only was the existing service retained, but the overnight service was enhanced to provide more comprehensive care, including access to nurse prescribers and overnight medical support from a doctor via telehealth.

“I am concerned that the service has not been appropriately staffed to the level required to ensure Napier residents can access this service consistently.

“I expect Health New Zealand to resolve this issue and have asked officials for advice on the actions being taken to ensure Napier residents have a reliable overnight service – a service they expect and deserve.”