Subsidised doctor visits by Community Services Card holders would put pressure on primary health care providers in Northland, the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners head said.
President Dr Tim Malloy, a GP in Wellsford, said the issue was how much capacity there was in primary health care to meet the anticipated demand followed the Budget announcements.
The Government will make GP visits up to $30 cheaper for those on modest incomes who are eligible for the Community Services Card (CSC) and an estimated 540,000 people throughout New Zealand are expected to benefit.
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At the end of last month, there were 40,434 CSC holders in Northland - 18,980 in Whangārei, 16,774 in the Far North and 4680 in Kaipara.
Free doctors' visits and prescriptions to under 14-year-olds will be extended but Dr Malloy said there wouldn't be a large number of patients under that age group to make a significant cost difference to health care providers.
"One of the objectives of the exercise is to remove cost for people to access primary care more easily. The issue is how much capacity do we have in primary heath care to meet the demand.
"That means we have to be resourced in terms of finance and human resources to be able to do that. An increase in utilisation by Community Service Card holders in Northland will put pressure on. There are a significant number of deprived individuals in Northland," he said.
Dr Malloy said Northland GPs have pressures around the recruitment and retention of staff, especially in rural areas.
But he remains positive the sector will rise to the occasion to meet the needs of people through use of primary care members to the maximum, among other measures. The Government will extend eligibility for the CSC to all those receiving the accommodation supplement or income-related rent subsidy.
Health Minister David Clark said it was a disgrace that last year more than half a million New Zealanders didn't go to their GPs because of the cost.