For the next six month the Waikato District Health Board will trial a new online service for people who struggle to access health care afterhours.

Launched this week, the service is an extension of the ‘Virtual DHB' initiative which connects patients with doctors for text or video consultations via the health board's website or HealthTap app.

This week the Waikato District health Board launched a six month trial of a new online doctor service for people, such as those living in remote rural communities, who struggle to access health care afterhours. Photo: Waikato DHB

Anyone signed up to the Virtual DHB service will be able to access the online doctors for free Monday to Friday from 6pm to 11pm, and Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 8am to 8pm.

Patients can message doctors through their home computer, smart phone or tablet wherever they are and initiate a video chat. Their phone provider's normal data charges will apply.

Waikato DHB Primary and Integrated Care clinical director Dr Damian Tomic, who setup the new service, says they often receive feedback from people living in remote rural communities of the difficulty they have accessing health services, especially afterhours.

'For many people in rural areas, getting to an afterhours service such as an Accident & Medical Centre is difficult,” says Damian.

'Even those who're able to get to hospital can spend hours in emergency departments when their query could have been answered easily by an online doctor and this would free up ED for more urgent cases.”

The online doctors will either be New Zealand registered general practitioners or emergency medicine specialists.

In certain situations, they'll be able to write prescriptions that can be faxed to the person's local pharmacy to collect, while consultation notes will be sent to the person's normal GP and available to view by the patient in HealthTap.

People wanting sign up for the service need to take photo ID along to the enquiry desk at Waikato Hospital or to the DHB's other hospitals at Thames, Te Kuiti, Tokoroa or Taumarunui.

Staff will then send an email this to the person who can then register with the Virtual DHB and download the NZ version of the HealthTap app to their smart device.

'We want to remove the barriers to healthcare that many of our population face. They deserve access to free advice from a health professional where it's safe and appropriate to do so.

'This service will add to the out of hours services already offered by some GPs and Accident and Medical Centres, but will be ideal for people who find it difficult to travel,” says Damian.

For more information about the Virtual DHB initiative and the online doctors out-of-hours service visit: www.waikatodhb.health.nz/for-patients-and-visitors/virtual-dhb/

Waikato District Health Board Primary and Integrated Care clinical director Dr Damian Tomic. Photo: Waikato DHB