The current Buller Health facility which usually provides a 24/7 acute care service for Westport and the surrounding area. Photo: Brendon McMahon/Greymouth Star
Health NZ West Coast has delayed the reopening of 24/7 acute care services in Westport again, "due to on-going staffing pressures" at Buller Health.
It was urging seriously unwell people to dial 111 instead.
In a statement on Tuesday, Health NZ said the urgent patient stabilisation and observation services provided at Foote Ward would continue to operate on a reduced basis rather than the normal 24/7 basis.
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The ward had been operating only between 7am and 11pm daily since early August after Health NZ announced a temporary reduction in hours due to staff leave and winter illness.
Early last month, in response to criticism and confusion about what Westport residents were supposed to do in an emergency, Health NZ said it planned to have its acute service back up and running again 24/7 from 10 October.
In its statement, it said those needing full admission for acute care outside the current restricted operating hours would be transferred the 100 kilometres to Te Nīkau Hospital in Greymouth.
"Outside of these hours, all acute care will be managed in the same way as rural services provided by St John who will be supported by a PRIME trained clinician," Health NZ West Coast director of nursing Holly Mason said.
"Unfortunately, the staffing pressures which led to reduced services in Foote Ward's 24/7 urgent patient stabilisation and observation services over the weekend have not eased. For this reason, we have made the decision to continue temporarily providing reduced services."
Emergency or acute care services were still available 24/7 but, "they are just being provided in a different way".
Anyone needing urgent care in Westport and surrounds between 11pm and 7am would need to wait at home for a visit from St John and a PRIME trained clinician, instead of presenting themselves at Buller Health.
Mason said they appreciated the ongoing restrictions were not ideal.
"We are committed to ensuring the wider-Westport community has access to urgent acute care when it is needed. It's important that if you are very unwell, we do want to see you so you can get the care you need. In a life-threatening emergency, it's critical you call 111."
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air