Life at Pihanga Health

Life at Pihanga during COVID 19 Level 2

We are open and offering all our usual services.

We ask that you do not come to the surgery if you have cold, flu or any symptoms associated with COVID or if you have been asked to take a COVID test by the Ministry of Health.  Please ring us first so that we are prepared.  If you do have potential COVID symptoms please be honest with us.  We will still treat you, we will just do it in a way which is safer for you, other patients and our team.  Thank you for your cooperation

We are encouraging phone consultations during Level 2 but you can book a face to face appointment with your doctor if you believe that you need to be seen rather than assessed over the phone.  The cost of a phone consultation is the same as a face to face appointment.

We need to limit the number of people in the waiting room so that we can maintain appropriate social distancing.  You are welcome to bring a support person with you but please limit the size of your group as much as possible.  If the waiting room is full we may ask you to wait outside or in your car until space becomes available.

Our doctors and nurses will be wearing masks during your consultation.  This is because it is hard for us to maintain social distancing in our consult rooms.

We continue to send all prescriptions directly to a pharmacy of your choice at no extra charge.  The pharmacy continues to be busy so please allow two working days before collecting your medications unless told to collect them that day by your doctor.  Feel free to call the pharmacy to check if your prescription is ready before you head in to collect it.

If you need to pay a bill we prefer that you do this by internet banking (ANZ – Pihanga Health – 06-0317-0862899-00).  However if you need to pay in person you can  come in to pay by eftpos or cash.

We continue to undertake intense cleaning protocols in the waiting room, consultation and treatment rooms.  You are encouraged to use the hand sanitizer on offer at the door.

We continue to have contact tracing measures in place for you to use.  This includes our appointment book, a QR code for the NZ COVID Tracer app and a sign in book for those who do not have an appointment.

As always please follow the official advice on the COVID 19 website

COVID 19 Testing

We continue to offer COVID 19 testing every weekday.  When demand for testing is high – this will be offered through a drive in/walk in service.  When demand is lower testing will be through appointments only.

Please check out our Facebook page for day by day testing times and locations or give us a call.

Introducing 0800 PIHANGA

We are excited to introduce our new 0800 (free call) phone number – 0800 PIHANGA (0800 7442642).  This number is now active and can be used to contact us free of charge from both cell phones and landlines.  Don’t worry, our existing number (07 384 7576) still works too!  Just one more way for you to get in touch!

Evening clinics

Did you know that we are now open until 6pm on Thursdays for both Doctor and routine Nurse appointments?  We are trialing this until the New Year.  It replaces our fortnightly Saturday clinics.  Let us know how this is working for you.