Invercargill's urgent doctor service is now open almost 60 hours a week, up from 23, after a Government-funded expansion took effect on Monday 19 October.

The after-hours clinic, run by Te Hau o Te Ora at 65 Don Street, previously opened from 6pm to 9pm on weekdays and from noon to 4pm on weekends and public holidays.

Under the new schedule it opens from 11.30am to 8pm on weekdays and from 9am to 5pm on weekends, adding 35.5 hours of urgent care a week.

The extra hours are funded through the $164 million urgent and after-hours care package announced in Budget 2025.

Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds, who is seeking re-election for National on 7 November, described the change as a real breakthrough in healthcare for the people of Invercargill and Southland.

"It will also take pressure off the hospital's Accident and Emergency Department," she said.

Simmonds called the expanded service a gamechanger for Southlanders and said she was delighted they would benefit from it. She pointed to what she said was a record $16.68 billion of health spending across the coalition Government's three Budgets.

What the change means for patients

The most significant shift is on weekdays. The service previously ran for just three hours each weekday evening, which left Southland Hospital's emergency department as the main fallback for people who could not get a same-day appointment with their own GP.

From this week, patients can be seen from late morning. The weekend extension is also substantial, with the clinic open for eight hours on Saturdays and Sundays rather than four.

The clinic takes bookings on 0800 456 138. When the Herald checked this week, the provider's website still listed the old opening hours, so patients are advised to phone ahead rather than rely on the published times.

Te Hau o Te Ora, which describes itself as offering primary health care without the barriers, runs the after-hours service from its Don Street general practice and also operates a clinic in Mataura.

Hours at a glance

  • Weekdays: 11.30am to 8pm (previously 6pm to 9pm)
  • Weekends: 9am to 5pm (previously noon to 4pm on weekends and public holidays)
  • Total: about 58.5 hours a week, up from 23
  • Where: Te Hau o Te Ora, 65 Don Street, Invercargill; bookings 0800 456 138

The $164 million package was set out in the coalition Government's Budget in May 2025. Simmonds, a Cabinet minister, has held the Invercargill seat since 2020.