One of east Auckland’s busiest medical centres is now operating with extended hours and its chief executive wants patients to know that most of the time they won’t have to wait more than 90 minutes to be seen.

East Care Urgent Care in Botany Road is contacting its patients to advise them as of Monday, March 2, its facility is open from 7am to 1am, instead of 11pm, seven days a week.

The change is being made possible due to funding from Health New Zealand.

“We know that sometimes we haven’t been able to see everyone in the evenings because of the issue with closing times,” Care Group chief executive Benedict Hefford told the Times.

“What this will allow us to do is that as long as people arrive by 11pm, we should be able to see them and treat them.

“We will of course see everyone in the sense of triaging and redirecting them as long as we’re open.

“But if they come before 11pm, it’s the same fees as normal and the same service, and we should be able to ensure they can be treated.”

Patients who arrive before 11pm will pay East Care’s standard fees. Those who arrive after 11pm will pay a $35 late-night surcharge.

Hefford also wants East Care’s patients and the public to have a better understanding of its fees.

ACC consultations, which can include for example sports injuries, a fall at home, workplace accident and even a bee sting, cost $68 for adults and are free for children.

There’s no charge for children aged under-14 if they visit East Care after 5pm on weekdays and any time on weekends.

And with an on-site x-ray and pharmacy, East Care can get most injuries sorted in a single visit.

“Allevia Radiology uses AI [artificial intelligence] to read x-rays, so we usually get the results straight away during the patient’s visit,” Hefford says.

Regarding waiting times at East Care, he says: “We were trying really hard to keep the maximum waiting time to 90 minutes for most people.

“We are not always able to do that, but that’s what we’re working towards.

“Our average waiting time is around an hour, but obviously for some people it can be a bit longer than that.

“So an hour and a half is about as long as you should hopefully expect to wait in most circumstances.”

And he says he’s hopeful East Care will be able to return to operating 24 hours a day seven days a week, as it did until late 2020 after more than 20 years.

The other big news the medical centre is sharing with its patients is it’s renovated its clinic so it’s more spacious, modern, and comfortable.

“More space means we can offer new services, including booked appointments for minor illness and injury and wound care.

“With increasing pressure on hospital emergency departments, we’re proud to support our community with a trusted urgent care option here in Botany, just as East Care has done for more than 30 years.”

Check out the next edition of the Eastern Times to read about East Care’s recent $2 million revamp and what it means for its patients.

Extended hours coming to East Care from early 2026 – Times

10,454-signature petition fails to get East Care’s overnight service reopened – Times

One step closer to 24/7 urgent medical care in east Auckland – Times

Extended urgent care hours coming to east Auckland – Times

Original source: nz