Auckland GP to charge $440 for extra care

By ANGELA GREGORY health reporter

An Auckland general practitioner is asking patients to pay hundreds of dollars a year on top of normal consultation fees to receive the quality of care he wants to provide in his North Shore practice.

Dr John Pollock has written to more than 700 patients suggesting they pay an annual enrolment fee to get benefits such as cellphone access, home visits when necessary and a guarantee of appointments on the day they want them.

Single adults would pay $440 a year and couples $660 a year. No extra charge would be made for dependent children aged under 19.

The Torbay GP says he is making the move because of falling Government subsidies relative to rising costs, and to avoid burnout.

Dr Pollock said he could not afford to carry on as he was without compromising his efforts to maintain a good general practice.

Some patients had been upset by his offer, and had told him they would no longer use his service.

But at least 15 families had taken up the scheme since it was made available 10 days ago.

Good general practice was becoming increasingly difficult to deliver because of pressures such as a shortage of GPs, the increased time required for consultations and the need to make a reasonable income, he said.

The Torbay Medical Centre, where he practises, had in the past three years lost three "top rate" GPs who had gone into more lucrative fields of medicine.

"The mood is just appalling ... the good GPs have tried to provide a really good service cheap. They have effectively been subsidising patients."

Dr Pollock said few new doctors were entering general practice because of the difficulties.

He said his move to an additional annual charge would reduce his practice considerably. "But I will give my patients a better service, and have time to resume my education."

Some patients would still be able to see him without paying the annual fee, but would probably have to wait longer for an appointment.

Other doctors at the Torbay centre were not involved in the scheme.

Dr Pollock acknowledged he was breaking new territory.

"It has cost me 50 to 60 sleepless nights. It was not done lightly."

He had the benefit of having worked in the Torbay area since 1979, and the community could generally afford the service he was offering.

One of his elderly patients, who did not want to be named, said she would change to a new medical centre because of the annual charge.

"He's a wonderful doctor, but it's not on," she said.

"I really think he has got too many patients and it's a way of cutting the numbers down."

The president of the Royal College of GPs, Dr Helen Rodenburg, knew of Dr Pollock's plan and could understand his motives.

"Sure, for some patients it might be too expensive, which is a shame. But he is not alone in wanting that quality focus," she said.

About five years ago Government subsidies met about half what patients were charged, Dr Rodenburg said.

The subsidies now covered about 30 per cent of the fees because the costs of providing services, equipment and staff had risen.

Dr Rodenburg said general practice was not in good shape in New Zealand.

Health Minister Annette King had no objection to Dr Pollock's venture.

He was a private practitioner offering a service that he believed the public would pay for.