She wants more consideration for rural areas, where already stretched medical services could be overwhelmed by people going to their holiday homes.
Bolden says rural practices do not have the resources of those in urban centres and the practice workforce is generally older and potentially more susceptible to the virus.
Associate Professor Garry Nixon Otago University’s rural health section and from six rural doctors said rural towns are home to many of the country’s most vulnerable communities.
They fear rural health services will be overlooked as health and clinical leaders focus on base hospitals and their immediate patients.
“Geographic equity will be important in the coming weeks and months.”
Nixon says rural medical practices are driven by acute need and can’t accommodate a sudden increase in demand from something like a pandemic.
“Residents of rural towns are overall poorer, older, more likely to be Māori and have poorer health outcomes than the cities.
“These communities rely on rural health services, both primary and secondary, the majority of which are chronically understaffed, with limited specialist services and equipment.”
They are asking district health boards to develop plans for rural practices, ensure equitable access to specialist and intensive care services and provide a single point of contact to specialists for rural clinicians.
They also seek a staffing boost should rural practices be overwhelmed, more intensive care resources for transferring patients and community trust hospitals to be treated the same as those run by health boards.
Bolden wants help to establish strategically placed rural testing stations so those needing testing do not have to go far and risk spreading the virus, which will also reduce the risk to medical practitioners.
“We especially need testing stations in low-decile areas and areas with high elderly populations in rural areas.”
Feedback from her members is that there has been an influx of people self-isolating in holiday homes in rural areas, potentially spreading the virus and increasing the risk health services will be swamped.
Bolden, a Raglan GP, says the rural health workforce is generally older, practices are understaffed but expected to provide both routine and round-the-clock care.
“We do not currently have capacity to manage our own populations, particularly as our staff become unwell, let alone being able to manage this extra influx of people who may well be bringing covid-19 with them.
“We need people to understand that this is an isolation period not a holiday period.”
If rural health professionals get sick there is often no back-up.
“These are smaller teams, which makes it more difficult. We know that for at least 54 practices there is just one GP or one key nurse.”
The Government has committed a further $15 million for frontline response and while Bolden is uncertain how that will boost rural services she urges quick action before the nation’s health services are swamped.
