Young Children to Receive Free After-Hours Doctors' Visits

District Health Boards across New Zealand negotiated with GPs to provide free after-hours visits for children under age 6. The visits, which are estimated to cost NZ$7 million a year, will be funded by the government through savings from lower pharmaceutical costs due to drugs coming off patent. More than 90 percent of the country's under-six population now has free access to after-hours care with a GP. Such visits previously cost patients from NZ$17 to NZ$100.

Source:

• http://feeds.beehive.govt.nz/release/free-after-hours-doctors%E2%80%99-visits-rollout-starts?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+beehive-govt-nz%2Fportfolio%2Fhealth+%28Health+-+beehive.govt.nz%29