Owners close Invercargill medical practice, citing a GP shortage
Invercargill medical practice Gaius Family Health has closed, leaving about 780 enrolled patients to find new doctors.
A notice posted on the door of the Victoria Ave practice, whose listed owners are Aderonke and Babajide Samuel, acknowledged the news may “come as a surprise and may cause concern’’ but said the decision had been considered with the interests of patients in mind.
“As you are very aware, due to the nationwide shortage of GPs we have struggled to get a full-time GP in our clinic.”
The notice advised patients of five city practices currently enrolling patients.
It also said Gaius would be there for patients to contact if they needed help.
“We understand that finding a new healthcare provider can be daunting, and we are committed to helping you through this transition.”
WellSouth chief executive Andrew Swanson-Dobbs said the southern primary healthcare network had been made aware this month of the imminent closure and had worked hard to inform all patients about the closure and options for enrolment at other local practices.
“This closure is another example of the pressure and strains in primary care,” he said.
Many of Gaius’ patients transferred when the practice was bought from Dr Ajit Johri, who retired in October 2020 after more than 40 years.
Among them was Warren Drake, who said he received a message at 12.04am on Wednesday to say the practice would be closing on Friday. He said he was shocked but not surprised. He had been dealing with locums since the practice’s regular GP, Dr Lynne Harvey, left in November last year.
It had been frustrating for the patient, whose Tramadol pain medication prescription required face-to-face consultations for repeats.
Accessing appointments had been a struggle, he said, because there was often no doctor available.
It wasn’t unusual for him to arrive at the practice and find a sign stating it had shut early because of short staffing, Drake said.
He was confused, because he’d received a text on April 18 encouraging him to book a flu vaccination – just a week before the message saying it would close.
The Human Rights Commission has called primary care access a human rights issue.