FAQ's

Enrolling is free and voluntary. If you choose not to enrol, you can still receive health services from us. There are benefits available to patient who are enrolled with WeCare that will not be available if you use or services and are not an enrolled patient.

Some benefits of enrolment with WeCare include:

• your visits to us will be cheaper and you will have direct access to a range of services linked to the PHO.
• you will be able to access heavily discounted WeCareNow services 
• you will have free enrolment and access to our online portal Manage My Health (MMH)
• you will have access to our Urgent Care Service with drop-in appointments for any health concern available on the day at our Wigram Clinic

There are a few ways you can get in touch with us:

• Use MMH [Manage my health] patient portal (mobile app available) for:
  • quick easy appointment booking – either virtual or in person appointments
  • messages/queries for your care team – this is the quickest way to receive a response, and is monitored and actioned throughout the day
  • check your results
•  Use our website for:
  • Ordering repeat prescriptions (if eligible)
  • Requesting online medical certificates
  • Checking if you can be treated at WeCareNow and book online 
  • Booking virtual appointments and you can also access MMH through our website.
• Email us on info@wecarehealth.co.nz with any admin queries, requests, or to give us information.
• If you would like to give us any feedback, you can do so on feedback@wecarehealth.co.nz.
• Call us on (03) 349 8613 to speak to a care concierge. Please be advised that our phones can be busy during peak times.

Minor ailments and common conditions – WeCareNow for a fast, lower cost option

• Use our nurse-led WeCareNow service for minor ailments, common conditions, minor injuries and nursing services
• Heavily discounted rates for WeCare enrolled patients apply for WeCareNow services
• Drop-in (no appointment required) at WeCareNow Riccarton or book online at any clinic by clicking 'get care' on our website
• WeCareNow Wigram open for bookings Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm and Saturday to Sunday 9am - 3pm
• WeCareNow Lincoln open for bookings Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm
• WeCareNow Riccarton (Bush Inn Centre) open for bookings or drop-in Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm
• Casual or enrolled patients can be seen at WeCareNow - to see our menu of conditions and check what we treat visit our WeCareNow website www.wecarehealth.co.nz/wecare-now

Acute Care Drop-in Clinic – available at WeCare Wigram and WeCare Lincoln for drop-in same day care

• Get care when you need it - just drop in to our Acute Care Clinic for any acute conditions/injuries beyond what can be treated within WeCareNow
• Exclusively available to WeCare enrolled patients only - no appointment required
• Drop-in Acute Clinics are available at WeCare Wigram Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm and Saturday to Sunday 9am - 3pm & WeCare Lincoln 9am - 5pm
• Avoid long waits and expensive fees at other urgent care centres and be seen by your own care team

Comprehensive Medical Care Clinics – WeCare Lincoln, WeCare Ilam & WeCare Wigram

• Full medical services both in-person and virtual – see our website for details
• Blood test clinic appointments available for a low fee
• Book in advance to see your preferred clinician or for conditions outside of what can be treated with WeCareNow services

Virtual Care - easy access to services such as:

• Repeat prescriptions - request direct from our website, or from your MMH patient portal
• Medical certificates - request direct from our website
• Telephone or video consults available up to 8pm Monday to Friday - book direct from our website or from your MMH patient portal app

If your test results are abnormal, our clinical team will contact you directly. Otherwise you will be able to access your results through the the ManageMyHealth portal. We recommend downloading the mobile app as it is more convenient.

You are welcome to contact us if there are any concerns about the result or if you have not heard from us.

Please note that you can have normal results in the presence of significant illness. It is important that you contact us if your symptoms are persisting or if you develop new symptoms.

We aim to provide high quality, professional service for our patients at all times. If you have any complaints about the treatment or service you have received from us, we would like to know. It is best if full details of the complaint can be received in writing; if this is not possible then it should be written down by a staff member.

If you make a complaint to us we will:

• Let you know that we have received your complaint within five working days unless it has been resolved to your satisfaction within that time.
• Let you know within ten working days whether or not we feel your complaint is justified.  If we need more time to investigate your complaint, we will advise you of this and why more time is needed.

Once we have made a decision regarding the acceptance or otherwise of your complaint we will:

• Provide you with reasons for our decision.
• Advise you of actions we propose to take.
• Advise you of the practice appeal procedures and your rights to complain to the Health & Disability Commissioner or the Privacy Commissioner.

Complaints can be sent via email to feedback@wecarehealth.co.nz

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone or support person with them for any appointment. The chaperone can be a family member, friend or a member of staff.

If you want a member of staff to accompany you during the visit, please let the receptionist know when you arrive for your appointment.

If you have any of these impairments, please let our care concierge know when you make your appointment. Our building is accessible and we welcome you to bring your support person(s) and/or guide dog.

Interpreting New Zealand provides an interpreter for New Zealand Sign Language (see Interpreter Service).

Enrolment is subject to eligibility, so we will need to check whether you are eligible to enrol. If you, or a child you are enrolling, were not born in New Zealand, you will need to bring your passport which contains the visa information to show whether you (or your child) are eligible for funded health and disability services in New Zealand.

In order to provide you with the best quality health care we need to obtain some personal information about you. We will keep this information safe to protect your privacy. To ensure we can receive government subsidies towards your health care, we need to have your name, street address, date of birth, gender and ethnicity. Without this information, we cannot apply for the government subsidies and you will then be required to pay an unsubsidised price to see the doctor. All clinical information requested from you will only be provided to other health care workers involved in your care (e.g., a specialist, hospital). Privacy and confidentiality of personal information will be maintained in compliance with the Privacy Act 1993 and the Health Information Privacy Code 1994.

If you cannot get an appointment with a doctor who speaks your first language, please ask our receptionist to book an interpreter for you when you book your appointment.

We have free access for enrolled patients to interpreter services.

This service is provided by Interpreting New Zealand (www.interpret.org.nz, ph 0508 468 377) and funded by Pegasus Health for our enrolled patients.

If you require this service, please inform the receptionist when you make your appointment.

Face-to-face interpreters usually require at least 24 hours notice.

The interpreter service is a free service to NZ citizens but you will need to book a double (30 minute) appointment your appointment will take a longer time.

Please phone us on 03 349 8613 as soon as you know you will not make your appointment so that we can reschedule it for you and offer your original appointment to another patient.

At WeCare, we value our patient’s time and do our best to see everyone on time. We also would like to have enough time to properly take care of your medical needs as they are really important to us. If you arrive late, you will be asked to reschedule so that you may be allocated your full appointment time to take care of your health needs.

In order for us to book the correct appointment type, WeCare care concierge will ask for the reason for your appointment. If you would prefer not to disclose your reason, please feel free to let the receptionist know.

If you are an enrolled WeCare patient who has a stable medical condition/s and been seen for this condition within the last year, you may request a repeat prescription from us. Repeat prescriptions are sent directly to the pharmacy of your choice.

If you have recently enrolled with us and have not seen a doctor yet, you’ll need to make an appointment with a before we can issue your prescription.

In some cases, your usual provider will need to see you to review your progress before a prescription can be given.

You can request a prescription either via our MMH (Manage My Health) patient portal or via our website.

You can also request a prescription in person at our Wigram or Lincoln reception desk. We are not able to take prescription requests via phone.

The standard processing time for your repeat prescriptionis two working days.

For any same day prescription requests, we must receive your request before 2pm.

Payment Collection Policy  

 Definition 

Patient debt is incurred when care is provided, and no payment is received from the patient. 

Policy 

•  It is the policy of the Practice that payment is required at the time of service. 
•  If an arrangement is made for the patient to pay off the debt over a set period of time, a payment must be made within 7 days of the appointment. 
•  Our aim is that no one should accumulate an outstanding balance of more than one service, unless approved by the accounts manager. 
•  The exceptions to our pay on the day policy are: 

-Corporate clients 

-Patients sent urgently to hospital for further care

-Patients who have an automatic payment set up and have paid more than 3 consecutive payments. 

• Patients with an outstanding balance must be reminded at the time of making the appointment to clear this balance prior to being seen. This can be done via online payment or in the clinic before their appointment. 
• Patients in financial difficulty are encouraged to set up an automatic payment. The automatic payment must be sufficient enough to clear the outstanding balance within 60 days. 
•  Outstanding balances with no payment received within 60 days will be sent to debt collection agency for debt recovery. 
• Casual patients and visitors MUST pay prior to being seen. If they are not able to pay up front, then they are to be advised to see their registered medical practice.
• If the patient is employed by a corporate client that has an established account with the Practice and the employer has authorised the visit, the Practice will follow the billing arrangements established with the employer. If the employee has not authorised the visit, then the patient will be treated as a casual patient and will need to pay up front for the appointment. 

WeCare Wigram is open extended hours (8am-6pm Mon-Fri & 9am-3pm Sat-Sun) for any WeCare patients.

If you need care outside of these hours, we have an agreement with the AfterHoursGP service - book online at www.afterhoursgp.co.nz or alternatively, you can phone Healthline for advice

If it is an emergency, call 111 or go to the emergency department.