Doctors vulnerable to staff cuts as practices struggle

Marlborough GP practices say they are not immune from the financial effects of the coronavirus lockdown and may need government support to survive.

While still operating as essential services, GP clinics are seeing the effects of reduced business due to virtual consultations and the cancellation of elective and non-urgent procedures.

Renwick Medical Centre GP Buzz Burrell said GPS were facing a ‘‘tsunami’’ of problems related to the pandemic, and were vulnerable to staff cuts and closures.

‘‘General practices around the country are struggling for viability because we were struggling for viability before,’’ he said.

‘‘This has been a litmus test on the surety of primary care viability. Before we were just on the edge of surviving, most of us, and this has now made us not survivable.’’ Last week his practice had a third to a half of its normal appointment numbers.

On March 17, the Government announced it would provide an additional $500 million to health as part of a rescue package, and indicated it would announce further assistance last week.

‘‘It’s not making up entirely for the shortfall, but it’s certainly stopping significant numbers of us going under,’’ Burrell said.

He said the rescue package was a gesture but would not protect the primary sector entirely.

He knew of practices around the country that had been forced to shut up shop, but he was choosing to keep staff on and simply go into debt.

Springlands Health practice manager Mark Mclean said his practice had seen a downturn in business and support from the Government would be ‘‘paramount’’.

‘‘We haven’t made anyone redundant or restructured but definitely cashflow and money coming in over the counter is greatly reduced,’’ he said.

Operating as an essential business, they were seeing at least 80 per cent of their patients virtually, he said.

‘‘We are still seeing patients if it’s deemed they need to be seen, if they need a physical consultation,’’ he said.

‘‘Sometimes that’s carried out in the car, sometimes that’s carried out in the practice.

‘‘Obviously, paramount is the safety of other patients and staff, so that patient would need to have a clinical assessment making sure they don’t have Covid symptoms before they are brought into the building.’’

He said they had been having difficulty getting enough supplies of the flu vaccine.