A local charity has spent about $7 million building a whānau health clinic in central Whangārei for patients who need it most.
The hauora whānau centre Te Whare o Rehua was blessed on October 25 and officially opens its doors to patients on Monday.
Whangārei clinic opens for patients who can’t get to a doctor
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Te Hau Āwhiowhio o Otangarei Trust general manager Janine Kaipo says the new Whangārei CBD clinic is all about helping those who can’t get to a doctor. Photo / Denise Piper
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Kaipo said many of these people struggle to enrol because many medical centres have closed their books but could also include rough sleepers. Those not enrolled usually go to White Cross or their hospital’s A&E, clogging up the system, she said.
The centre in Whangārei CBD, on the corner of James and Robert Sts, is an expansion for the trust, which has been based in the suburb of Otangarei since the early 1990s.
Kaipo said many of the 3000 whānau registered with Te Hau Āwhiowhio might have once lived in Otangarei but have since moved to other parts of Whangārei.
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During Covid lockdowns, the trust found many of its patients could not get to its clinic because buses were not running, she said.
While about 30 staff will be based at Te Whare o Rehua, clinics and home visits will still continue to run at Otangarei, she said.
Both clinics will be led by nurse practitioners, who receive extra training to do more tasks than registered nurses, including prescribing medicines and ordering diagnostic tests.
Kaipo said this is a matter of necessity caused by the lack of GPs in Northland.
“In Tai Tokerau we’ve been in this space for a while ... As a Maori health provider, we saw it about eight years ago: it was really hard to get a GP and we realised that a nursing model was the only way that we could continue to provide continuity of care to our enrolled whānau.
“We will need a GP to support the practice [who will connect virtually] but our nurse practitioners work at the highest scope – they save lives and support the rest of the team.”
Te Whare o Rehua will also include a pharmacist and counsellors, while rooms on the second floor will be available for allied services including budget advisers and social workers.
Two rooms have also been set up so dialysis can be offered in future for those who have travelled north, such as for a tangi.
Kaipo said while the Māori health provider uses Māori values – and the centre has a large whānau room – the service is not exclusive to Māori and is open to everyone in need.
Te Hau Āwhiowhio o Otangarei Trust funded almost all of the $7m building and renovation itself, as it was only able to get a $400,000 grant from Lotteries and some input from Te Puni Kokiri, she said.
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“It was disappointing – everyone that should’ve been contributing said ‘no’.”
But chief executive Martin Kaipo, Janine Kaipo’s husband, managed to convince the board the new clinic was needed in Whangārei and deserved by whānau.
Appointments will be charged at $18 for adults, $15 for community service card-holders and free for those 60 and over. Kaipo admitted she was still unsure of the business plan.
“We have no idea [how it will work] but we know the need and we know what’s not happening.”
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
