Free healthcare for displaced Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti residents

Te Whatu Ora will fully fund the cost of standard GP visits for residents of Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti who have been displaced by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Displaced residents (people from Tairāwhiti or Hawke’s Bay who have moved out of the district) will be eligible for free visits to general practice, after hours, accident and medical and urgent care clinics elsewhere in the country.

“Residents may have temporarily moved outside of their region and could be staying with whānau or friends elsewhere in the country,” says Abbe Anderson, National Director Commissioning. “We want to support these people with their health care as much as possible.

“Te Whatu Ora is funding free GP visits and prescriptions from now until 19 March 2023. We will closely monitor the situation and decide if an extension is required”, says Ms Anderson.

ENDS

Notes for editors:

• General practices and clinics set their own fees which vary between providers. Te Whatu Ora will fund the provider’s standard casual consultation fee.

• To make getting medicines easier, people won’t have to pay for their prescription charge at pharmacies in Northland, Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay and Tararua. In the rest of New Zealand, there is no prescription charge at pharmacies for those who have been displaced and unable to return to Northland, Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay and Tararua. Te Whatu Ora will cover these costs. https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/about-us/news-and-updates/te-whatu-ora-funding-primary-healthcare-delivery-in-affected-regions/