Accident & Urgent Care

THREE KINGS A&M  –  URGENT CARE

We are a designated ‘level two’ clinic, accredited by the ACC, and approved for training in Accident and Medical Practice, a branch of medicine recognised by the Medical Council of New Zealand and administered by the Royal New Zealand College of Urgent Care. We are open 7 days a week 8 am to 8 pm by walk in.  Accident treatment is our specialist area. Sutures, dressing, Moonboots, and casting – plaster or fibreglass all done on-site.. Minor fractures are managed by our urgent care team with a referral to our orthopaedic specialists if required.. Weekly orthopaedic clinic is run by specialists for patients who need further treatment.

Important Notice for Patients

1. How soon will you be seen:
   • As an Urgent Care Clinic, we prioritise patients based on the urgency and nature of their medical issues using standard Australasian triage protocols. Patients are not always seen according to the time of arrival.

2. Scope of Practice for Urgent Care:
   • Please use the Urgent Care services for urgent matters only (accidents or medical emergencies)
   • You will see an Urgent Care Doctor, not a General Practitioner (GP). Urgent Care Doctors handle immediate health issue/s only. You will be asked to follow up with your GP. For long-term or chronic problems, please book an appointment with your GP.
3. Non-Urgent Issues:
   • For non-urgent medical concerns, book with your GP or another GP if yours is unavailable. For regular check-ups, book at least 2 weeks in advance.
4. Fees and Funding:
   • Urgent Care Clinics are NOT funded by the PHO. Three Kings A&M does NOT receive an after-hours funding. This results in higher fees, particularly after 5 PM and on weekends. Enrolled patients benefit from reduced fees.
5. Services We Do Not Provide:
   • We do not offer drivers licensing, insurance medicals, or WINZ medicals.
   • We do not prescribe sleeping medicines or controlled drugs to non-enrolled patients unless absolutely indicated.
   • If you request a specific doctor, your wait time may be longer.
6. If You’re Waiting:
   • Consider booking with your GP or another GP.
   • Check if a repeat prescription can be ordered online (conditions apply).
   • Book phone appointments if you cannot visit in person.
   • Consult with a nurse prescriber if appropriate (usual charges apply).
   • Ask our friendly receptionist about same-day GP booking slots.
7. After-Hours Care (Weekdays after 5 pm & Weekends:
   • For urgent medical concerns only. It is not funded, so patients will incur the full cost. Please avoid visiting after hours for non-urgent issues to allow us to focus on those in urgent need.
   • Due to significant workloads and staffing issues, we may need to turn away patients from 7 PM or earlier if our patient numbers are unmanageable before closing. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Alternative clinics are listed at our reception for your convenience.

Increased staff and running costs, a nationwide staff shortage, other clinic closures and inadequate government funding have contributed to higher fees and longer wait times.