Highbrook Blog

Ever noticed how your family tend to need a doctor out of GP surgery hours? It’s Murphy’s Law! At Highbrook Medical, we hear this a lot. So, to give your whānau a better health journey, we’ve partnered with Practice Plus doctors. They’re a virtual doctor appointment service. Lucy Hall details why we believe this fantastic platform will give you a better after hours doctor experience.

Bringing better after hours doctor options to our health service offering

We can’t choose when accidents or emergencies happen. And that means offering after hours virtual doctor services is a necessity. Maybe you need to get an online prescription emailed to a pharmacy (anywhere in NZ) or have a simple consultation to set your mind at rest. But until recently, seeing a doctor after hours meant a trip to A&E. Enter Practice Plus. The new virtual doctor appointment service is designed to deliver better healthcare options for primary care patients.

Undeniably, there are situations when your whānau needs to talk to a Doctor in person rather than online. However, if you need a quick prescription or timely advice on treating sickness or injury, Practice Plus NZ gives you a very accessible option. Moreover, we understand that seeing a new doctor who isn’t familiar with your medical history can create uncertainty. So it’s good to know that after your online doctor consultation, your notes are passed back to your regular doctor via our NZ health portal, MyIndici.

Get the best after hours virtual doctor care with Practice Plus (late nights & weekends!)

As part of our commitment to provide the best healthcare, we’ve chosen an online doctor solution we trust. Practice Plus has a virtual team you can talk to when our clinic is closed. They are reliable, local New Zealand GPs who pass your patient notes back to our GP team for continuity of care after hours.

How to see a virtual doctor after hours on your device

Fortunately, it’s now straightforward to see a GP online, between 5 pm – 10 pm on weekdays or 8 am – 8 pm on weekends. Simply make a virtual doctor appointment with Patient Plus. We’ve created a detailed page describing how Patient Plus works.

3 quick steps to make a virtual doctor appointment

Now, it’s easy to make an online doctor consultation in NZ:

1. Visit Patient Plus on your smartphone or another device with wifi
2. Register (or login) to the Portal and request an appointment by selecting a time or joining the queue.
3. Pre-pay for your appointment fee with a credit or debit card. Then, a link for your virtual doctor appointment will arrive in your email.

The link should arrive 15 minutes before the GP consult. Afterwards, the Practice Plus doctor will email any online prescription for you to pick up at your chosen pharmacy. Moreover, the doctor will send your notes to our Patient Portal. Sharing the consult notes allows your regular GP to be aware of new conditions or prescriptions. Of course, we’ll be sure the transfer of notes meets our high privacy standards.

When should I see a doctor in person for Urgent Care?

There are times you will need to go to Urgent Care in person. So naturally, if a Practice Plus doctor thought you needed medical attention in person, they will let you know. Fortunately, nearby on Botany Road, you’ll find the fantastic team at East Care Urgent Care. They’re open every day, 7 am – 11 pm. Their A&E doctors tend to be the best option for treating severe wounds, burns, fractures or allergic reactions. Furthermore, East Care’s one-stop-shop offers onsite services like x-ray and emergency dental.

As always, for severe injury or illness, don’t hesitate to:

• phone Emergency services on 111
• phone Healthline for advice on 0800 611 116
• see Middlemore Hospital for severe injuries like broken bones or deep wounds.

Find out more about Patient Plus today.

Hopefully, you’ll find answers to your other questions on the After Hours care page and in our FAQs. Contact our reception team or your GP if you need details to better match your after hours questions. We tend to think the doctor service from Practice Plus is a real game-changer when it comes to making healthcare more accessible. Endorsing the new partnership, our Group Clinical Director, Dr Daniel Calder, says: “Partnering with Practice Plus will further safeguard the health of our community by enabling them to access care when they need it. It’s an amazing initiative, supported by East Health Trust to create great access to  primary care.”  We are confident you will find this helpful service and the online doctors will help you get better quickly!

Next time you need urgent care, book a virtual GP appointment with Practice Plus.