Staffing shortage causing delays to non-urgent referrals at Whanganui Hospital

Only urgent referrals are being taken at Whanganui Hospital, with GPs managing non-acute patients. Photo/ Bevan Conley

A shortage of general physicians at Whanganui Hospital means GPs have been asked to manage non-urgent referrals.

A Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand spokeswoman said a letter was sent to GPs at the end of September to inform them the workforce shortage was unlikely to improve in the immediate future, with recruitment proving unsuccessful for months.

Staff sickness caused Whanganui Hospital to drop down from seven fulltime physicians to two general medicine physicians between October 11 and 13.

Whanganui general practices are looking after lower acuity and routine patients, while Whanganui Hospital focuses on “those most unwell”.

Whanganui primary care clinical governance group chairman Dr John Mcmenamin said Whanganui general practices were used to dealing with rationing and this was not the first time this had happened.

GPs are going to manage non-urgent patient referrals by encouraging close follow-up appointments.

Te Whatu Ora will cover the cost of fees for people who require extra follow-ups due to delays in referral to medical services or outpatient clinics.

“Whilst people are at risk of delay, they need to monitored to make sure no other serious issue happens,” McMenamin said.

The impact on patients will be delays for non-urgent referrals, with urgent referrals still being seen in the same way.

It was important people had confidence in the health system as it was business as usual for doctors, he said.

Te Whatu Ora Whanganui acting group director of operations Katherine Fraser-Chapple said Whanganui Hospital had been actively recruiting for several months and to date had been unsuccessful.

McMenamin said other regions across the country were also experiencing similar issues with medical staffing.

“It’s something we understand how to do, and the important thing is to put the patient’s care at the centre and manage urgent and acute crises.”

It would create more work for GPs and the hospital when they eventually started playing catch-up, he said.

“The outcome of all of this, unfortunately, is just more delays for healthcare.”

Whanganui Hospital is currently recruiting for two vacant positions in general medicine, with one position set to be filled in early 2024.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.