Eastcare's new owner plans to grow practice

The trio that keeps Eastcare Medical ticking are (from left) receptionist Sherrida Karauria, practice nurse Ann Stellingwerf and practice owner Dr Farina Brady. Photo/Stuart Munro

Back in private practice, Farina Brady has clear ambitions to develop Eastcare Medical.

Dr Brady bought the practice from Dr John Kay, who has retired, and she started in the Moana St surgery just over a month ago.

A graduate from Auckland University, she was in private practice in the Coromandel for 15 years before moving to Te Awamutu. Her next stop was as a salaried GP in Taumarunui, a job that also saw her caring for patients in Ohakune before opting to shift to Wanganui.

"At some stage I was always going to own my own practice again, so that's why I came to Wanganui," she said.

"There's room to grow and we're looking to grow our patient numbers. Preferably they'll come from around the Wanganui East area," she said.

Her plan is to get another GP involved but in the short term probably Dr Kay would work a day or two a week.

"We have to build up the patient numbers before I could afford to take on another full-time GP. The perfect balance would be a female and a male doctor. But it's little steps."

Dr Brady said Wanganui was "hugely underrated" as a city, pointing to the publicity around gang patches as one example which coloured her perception.

"Then you come here and find its a lovely city."

She said the Eastcare Medical patient demographic was elderly: "Anyone under the age of 85 in this practice is young," she joked.

"What I have found though is that all the patients are quite fit. But we want to change that demographic and we can, by getting families and children involved here."

Another issue she would like to see changed is the funding for general practices in Wanganui which she said was not as extensive as it was in other areas she has worked.

"The funding that's gone into general practice elsewhere isn't available here. Things like sexual health, where advice and contraceptives is free for people aged 18 to 25.

"We can't offer that because the funding stream hasn't come to general practice here."

Dr Brady said it was an unrealistic situation when she had to direct those people to the hospital or public health clinic.

"If an 18-year-old comes to me I can see them but then say I have to charge them. I don't think that was quite what the Government policy was about."

The Whanganui District Health Board and Whanganui Regional Primary Health Organisation were responsible for allocating that funding.

"It doesn't affect me much yet because of the age of my patients. But it does seem odd when lots of other places make it available."

Dr Brady said she was "shocked and dismayed" when she found out but was hoping that with support from other GPs a change can be brought about.

"Asking the patients to pay makes it very awkward when they can go to hospital or sexual health clinic and get advice and contraception for free," she said.