New GP surgeries help lighten patient load

Patients scrambling to find a GP will soon have more options as two new surgeries open their doors.

Blenheim is set for two new practices, a general practice and another geared to help Māori and vulnerable residents with significant health needs.

The new surgery on Scott Street and the other on Howick Road look set to lighten the load among overloaded surgeries.

Both new practices will be able open to patients who are not yet registered with a GP in Marlborough.

Marlborough Primary Health Organisation chief executive Beth Tester says the move is welcome as it may help reduce some of the demand on primary care facilities.

“Urgent care has had its busiest June since it opened in 2017, though currently all practices are experiencing unprecedented demand also.

“People are relocating to Marlborough all the time and MPH enrolled numbers over the last year have risen by around 1000,” she says.

There are currently ten medical centres in Marlborough but just one is taking new enrolments, Renwick Medical Centre.

Picton Medical Centre is taking on patients but only among residents moving into the town, Linkwater and Tuamarina.

George Street Medical is adding patients to their wait list, but the remainder have currently closed their books.

Urgent care supports GP workload after hours and provides overflow capacity during the day if required.

Beth says the two new practices may help lessen the load.

“The two new practices will provide options for the community as to whom they may wish to enrol with and take some pressure off the primary care system as a whole.”

Manu Ora is set to open to the public later this month and Blenheim Medical opened today (Monday).

The Howick Road based clinic has been created by Te Piki Oranga and Nuku Health with support from Marlborough Primary Health Trust.

This new general practice aligns to He Korowai Oranga and Te Whare Tapa in a bid to help build higher levels of trust in the health system.