Fewer people are visiting their doctor and more are putting off having an operation because of financial pressures, a survey has found.
The survey, conducted for the Southern Cross Medical Society, found the proportion of people who visited their GP when they were not feeling well fell from 64% last year to 56% this year.
It found 25% of those questioned would not be able to fund an operation costing $5000, compared to 22% last year.
Southern Cross chief executive Peter Tynan says it's worrying that the economic situation may be causing people to ration their own access to health services.
He says skimping on health services has the potential to affect a person's long-term health.
But Dr Mark Petersen, from the Medical Association, says most doctors are very reasonable about making sure patients can be seen regardless of whether they can pay.
The survey questioned 1,030 people.
