Hon Simeon Brown
Minister of Health

The Government will invest in an enhanced overnight urgent care service for the Napier community as part of our focus on ensuring access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown has today confirmed.

“I am delighted that a solution has been found to ensure Napier residents will continue to receive afterhours care for urgent problems close to home,” says Mr Brown.

“Not only will the existing service be retained, Health New Zealand has agreed to enhance the overnight service so that Napier residents can receive more comprehensive care such as access to nurse prescribers, plus overnight medical support from a doctor via telehealth.

“This is a significant improvement on the status quo and means that the local community will have access to a better service, delivered from Napier Health at 76 Wellesley Road, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“Work has been underway since the end of 2024 to develop a sustainable model of care for urgent care services in the area.

“Significant feedback was gathered during consultation on how a better and safer patient experience could be delivered. The enhanced service will include:

• The existing nurse-provided walk in service
• An additional nurse with the ability to prescribe
• An overnight telehealth medical service

“Urgent care supports patients with non-life-threatening illnesses who need to see a medical professional quickly and who can't wait until the following day for medical attention.

“Nurses will also now be able to connect directly with a doctor overnight if required or schedule a later virtual appointment for the patient. This is a practical option to ensure the people of Napier have access to a doctor for urgent, but non-life threatening, care. This will further strengthen the ability of the overnight nurse led service to be able to support patients.

“As has always been the case, anyone requiring emergency care should go to the Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers Memorial Hospital’s emergency department or call 111 for an ambulance.

“My focus as Minister of Health is ensuring New Zealanders have access to timely, quality healthcare.

“I am pleased that Health New Zealand has been able to provide certainty to the people of Napier that they will continue to have access to overnight urgent care, now and in the future.

“I want to thank everyone who has advocated for this service being retained, including local MP Katie Nimon who has been a staunch advocate for the retention of this service, which was put in place following the closure of Napier Hospital in 1998,” Mr Brown says.

In addition to the enhanced service announced today, Health New Zealand will consider future options to supplement the service such as an on-call clinical pharmacist to support medication dispensing.

Notes:

• Health New Zealand had been operating a nurse-led afterhours service at Napier Health between the hours of 9pm and 8am.
• The merger of the afterhours services of City Medical and The Doctors Napier meant their afterhours service began operating from one location at Napier Health with a new closing at 8pm (instead of 9pm) from 1 March 2025.
• Since 1 March 2025, Health New Zealand has been bridging the gap by starting its overnight nurse-provided overnight service an hour early, from 8pm to 8am (instead of starting at 9pm).
• Following this merger of the two private businesses and a separate review of the nurse-provided overnight service, Health New Zealand has been consulting and working to develop a sustainable afterhours model of care.
• The enhanced service confirmed today means Health New Zealand will run its nurse-provided service from 8pm to 8am, seven days a week.
• Health New Zealand will consider future opportunities for the overnight service to be contracted back to private providers to deliver in the longer term, rather than the service being operated by Health New Zealand.

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