Dr David Waterhouse works on a patient in the Tarāpunga mobile clinic, when it was based in Kawakawa.
Dr David Waterhouse works on a patient in the Tarāpunga mobile clinic, when it was based in Kawakawa.
An surgeon using his sabbatical leave to set up a mobile clinic for rural Northlanders says more like-minded colleagues will be needed to help make the service sustainable.
Dr David Waterhouse from Whangārei’s Tūhauora Clinic has been helping establish the mobile specialist clinic, Tarāpunga, to improve access for patientswaiting months to be seen.
During his three-month sabbatical leave, he used Tarāpunga to run a two-day outreach clinic in Kawakawa in May, a two-day clinic in Kaikohe earlier this month and a one-day clinic in Rawene this week.
Waterhouse said the clinics helped remove barriers and the response from patients was “overwhelmingly positive”.
“In the context of widespread frustration with the health system, long wait lists, restructuring and leadership instability, this project has felt like a small but important win.”
In Kawakawa, 53 patients of all ages were seen over two days, including 28 who had been waiting more than 10 months for their first specialist appointment.
The clinics were a collaboration with input from Tūhauora Clinic, Tarāpunga Trust, Health NZ Te Whatu Ora Te Tai Tokerau and hosts like Ngāti Hine Health Trust.
Tarāpunga began with feasibility testing, with about 50 specialist appointments run from Whangārei Hospital’s carpark between late 2024 and 2025.
The mobile clinic, Tarāpunga, was donated by Professor Richard Douglas and supported by a charity co-founded by him and David Waterhouse.
The second phase, which Waterhouse is focusing on during his sabbatical, is to establish the logistics and clinical pathways for regular regional clinics.
He hopes to continue delivering these clinics once his sabbatical leave is over.
But Waterhouse said longer-term sustainability will require support from like-minded colleagues and, ultimately, Health NZ permanent funding.
Future surgeons are already putting up their hands to get involved and help with research analysing the impact of the mobile clinics, he said.
“There’s definitely scope for others to contribute, whether through the public hospital department, sabbaticals, secondments or funded roles.
“Ultimately, yes, permanent funding and formal integration into service planning would make a big difference in ensuring this continues to deliver for rural patients.”
Health NZ is “actively planning” for the ear, nose and throat services to continue as Waterhouse’s sabbatical concludes, Te Tai Tokerau group director of operations Alex Pimm said.
“Our commitment to accessible, high-quality care for rural communities is unwavering, and we’re exploring sustainable ways to ensure these services continue to meet local needs well into the future.”
Bay of Islands’ attractions could help lure more specialists
However, Ngāti Hine Health Trust chief executive Tamati Shepherd-Wipiiti said the workforce is the big issue with sustainability of such mobile clinics.
Most New Zealand specialists are already busy and running their own clinics with high workload, he said.
“We’re relying on specialists who will do work on sabbatical – on their time off. If we can crack the workforce issue, it’s sustainable.”
Ngāti Hine Health Trust is exploring ways to entice specialists to Kawakawa during their sabbaticals, including considering offering apartments just 10 minutes from the Bay of Islands, Shepherd-Wipiiti said.
“We already host nurses and we’ve got two apartments in Kawakawa which we could use for specialists.”
Waterhouse said he was born and raised in rural Northland, and wanted to use his sabbatical giving back to the community that shaped him.
He is also using the time to upskill in new nasal reconstruction techniques, specifically preservation rhinoplasty.
The Tarāpunga mobile ear nose and throat clinic was donated by Professor Richard Douglas, an ear, nose and throat surgeon from Auckland City Hospital and the University of Auckland.
Named after the red-billed gull, it is supported by Tarāpunga Trust, a charity co-founded by Douglas and Waterhouse.
The van is equipped with advanced diagnostic technology, providing an equivalent level of care to what patients receive at Whangārei or Kaitāia Hospitals.
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.
