Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Concern for elderly access to health services

Updated at 6:39 am on 8 December 2011

The health spokesperson for Ngati Pahauwera in northern Hawke's Bay says the inability of many elderly Maori people to easily access health services is a major concern.

Hawke's Bay District Health Board is currently consulting communities from Mahia to Raupunga on proposed new and updated integrated health facilities on the Wairoa hospital site.

The new model of health care will be more whanau-centred and will bring all individually run medical practices in Wairoa onto the one site.

Charlie Lambert from Ngati Pahauwera says there's merit in the model, but the big question is how much better off will Maori be, especially those living some distance from Wairoa.

He says there's no choice about going to town to see a doctor but if there are barriers such as transport, older people won't bother accessing the service.

Mr Lambert says the DHB offers people in Napier or Hastings a taxi chit, but there aren't any taxis in Wairoa, and a Gold Card is useless in the town.

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