Families in Rolleston and across the Selwyn district can now get urgent medical care in the evenings, at weekends and on public holidays without driving into Christchurch.

A new urgent and after-hours service will officially open at Toka Hāpai Selwyn Health Hub, on Saturday, operating from 5pm to 8pm on weekdays and from 9am to 5pm on weekends and public holidays.

It comes as Christchurch Hospital’s emergency department, one of the busiest in the country, is reported to be operating at code red and at times running at two to three times its capacity.

“Until now, families in Selwyn have often had to drive into Christchurch in the evening or at the weekend for care that could be safely and effectively provided in their own community. That has added to the pressure on Christchurch Hospital’s ED, one of the busiest in the country, especially through winter,” Health Minister Simeon Brown said.

“From Saturday, families can get urgent care locally in the evenings, at weekends, and on public holidays.” Speaking to Chris Lynch Media, Brown said Christchurch had only one round the clock option before now.

“Christchurch has a rapidly growing population, particularly Rolleston and Selwyn, as one of the fastest growing parts of the country, and we need to make sure that there’s opportunities and options for patients to be able to get the care they need at the times they need it.”

“Christchurch Hospital is incredibly busy. There is one 24/7 urgent after-hours care clinic in Christchurch, the Pegasus Clinic. So providing more options for people in other parts of Christchurch is really important to be able to provide the care they need closer to home.”

Health New Zealand estimated thousands of patients would use the service each year, and the hours could be reviewed.

“Absolutely over time as demand increases, there will be options to look at whether those hours need to be extended. But at the moment, patients in that part of Christchurch are having to travel a long way to get urgent and after-hours care,” Brown said.

The service is for people with non-life-threatening injuries or medical problems that are not severe enough for an emergency department, but which cannot wait until the next day.

“Treating patients locally takes pressure off the Christchurch Hospital Emergency Department and also Pegasus 24 Hour Surgery. The more people we can treat in their own communities, the more our hospital staff can focus on the most serious and complex cases,” Brown said.

Health New Zealand ran a procurement process for the contract, which the Selwyn Health Hub won, and the hub is responsible for recruiting the doctors, nurses and wider team.

“Health New Zealand contracts for services up and down the country for urgent and after-hours care clinics,” Brown said.

Patients will pay a fee, although the service is subsidised through the Government’s urgent and after-hours funding.

“For those patients on community services cards or children under the age of 14, there will be lower fees, and that’s a really important point. We always focus in making sure we target to those who need it the most, so that people can get the care at an affordable price,” Brown said.

Asked how much the new service could realistically achieve while the hospital’s bigger problem remained patients waiting in ED for a ward bed, Brown said the answer was to do both.

“Many people turn up to ED and require admission to hospital. Others don’t require admission to hospital, and we want to make sure that those people are getting that care closer to home. But for those who need admission, the key thing is then getting them through having beds available.”

He said Health New Zealand had a winter plan in place nationally, including additional flex beds at Christchurch Hospital.

“Every winter is a challenge, and our health staff and our hospitals work incredibly hard around the clock to do their very best to get patients seen in a timely manner.”

On when the public could expect to see pressure at Christchurch Hospital measurably drop, Brown pointed to the emergency department targets reinstated in 2024.

“We are seeing year-on-year improvements since we re-established those targets in 2024, which is good. But the success of this is also about making sure that patients have more choices closer to home.”

“We estimate that thousands of people will take up this option of being able to be seen closer to home and get the care that they need, and we’ll be watching those numbers very closely.”

“There’s going to be continued need for further investment in Christchurch. It is a very fast-growing population in that community, and we’ll continue to be supporting that through further investment as the government is investing in health each and every year,” Brown said.

The service is part of a $164 million investment through Budget 2025 to expand urgent and after-hours healthcare nationwide. Once the rollout is complete, 98 per cent of New Zealanders will be within an hour’s drive of in-person urgent care.

Rolleston was identified as a priority because of its growth and its limited after-hours care.

“Rolleston and the wider Selwyn district are growing fast, and health services need to keep pace,” Brown said.

“We are focused on fixing the basics and building the future of the health system. Making sure Kiwis in Rolleston and right across New Zealand can get urgent care close to home is a key part of that.”

MP for Selwyn Nicola Grigg said the opening was a direct response to what residents had been telling her.

“Residents across Selwyn have repeatedly told me they want better access to urgent healthcare closer to home. I have advocated strongly on their behalf, highlighting the challenges families face. This new service is a direct response to those community concerns and a great outcome for Selwyn,” Grigg said.

“For many local families, having to travel into Christchurch for urgent medical care in the evenings, weekends, or on public holidays has been both inconvenient and stressful.”

“I’m so pleased that from today, families can access urgent care for non-life-threatening injuries and medical conditions locally, saving time, reducing travel, and making it easier to get the care they need, when they need it.”

Grigg said local services had to keep pace with the district’s growth.

“Selwyn continues to experience significant growth, with more families choosing to call our district home every year. As our communities grow, it is essential that local services keep pace.”

“This urgent care service is an important investment in Selwyn’s future and demonstrates recognition of the needs of our rapidly expanding communities. This service will deliver real benefits not only for Rolleston residents, but also for people across our wider district, including those in our surrounding townships who have previously faced lengthy trips to access urgent care.”

The Selwyn Health Hub is owned by Selwyn District Council.

“This achievement has also been made possible through a strong partnership with Selwyn District Council, which has played an important role in supporting the Selwyn Health Hub as a council-owned facility,” Grigg said.