The Government has decided to expand Napier’s overnight urgent care service after Health NZ initially proposed to remove it and replace it with a teleheath model.

A report leaked to Hawke’s Bay Today in January, revealed the Government’s proposition to cut the overnight nurse service due to low demand, sparking community backlash and even a protest planned for this weekend.

Now, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the service at Napier Health on Wellesley Rd will not only be retained but also enhanced, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“I am delighted that a solution has been found,” Brown said.

“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.”

The changes include:

• The existing nurse-provided walk-in service to be retained

• An additional nurse with the ability to prescribe

• An overnight telehealth medical service

While the service remains nurse-led and no doctors will be on-site, the addition of prescribing nurses and access to telehealth doctors is being framed as an improvement over the previous model.

On-site nurses will also have the ability to consult a doctor if required, or schedule a virtual appointment for patients at a later time.

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

Brown said Napier MP Katie Nimon was among those who had fought for the service to remain.

“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,” Brown said.

The move follows the recent merger of City Medical and The Doctors Napier’s after-hours services, which saw all private urgent care in Napier consolidated into one location at Napier Health, with an earlier closing time of 8pm from March 1, 2025.

Since then, Health New Zealand has been providing overnight coverage with its nurse-led service starting an hour earlier, from 8pm to 8am.

Brown said urgent care was not emergency care, which is provided for at Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s 24/7 emergency department in Hastings.

“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,” he said.

As part of the announcement, Health New Zealand said future enhancements could include an on-call clinical pharmacist to support medication dispensing.

Longer-term options may also be explored, including shifting the overnight service back to private providers.

For now, the service will continue to operate from Napier Health, and residents needing emergency care will still be directed to Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s emergency department or advised to call 111.

“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,” Brown said.