Latest news with #WhiteCross
RNZ News
a day ago
- Health
- RNZ News
How much do urgent care fees vary within 21km in Auckland?
Urgent care is accessible but the fees, and the wait times, are quite varied around the Auckland. Photo: RNZ It's lunchtime on a Tuesday at the White Cross urgent care clinic in the south Auckland suburb of Otāhuhu. "Today is our fourth time in four weeks and today we've had to pay $150. So the twins are free, but me and my partner is $65 each." A mother told me the family had to come back to the clinic for another prescription, because sickness was spreading at home. "The virus that my daughters have caught doesn't go away unless you get antibiotics. And now we've caught it so we need antibiotics too, which their antibiotics won't work for us. It's just getting worse and worse. And if they get better and we've got it, we just end up giving it (the virus) back to them." The Otāhuhu clinic is close to home for the family, and it's cheaper than other urgent care clinics. "This is the most affordable one to take us in this fast. Our Local Doctors (a GP clinic) can't take us in for another three weeks. The last time we've been to the doctors for ourselves was probably two years ago. We just tough it out because it's too much amongst all the other bills that we have to pay. "Today we're gonna have to cut short on food. We haven't done our grocery shopping for the week yet, so it's gonna be what the twins need, and then whatever's left." By "take us in this fast", the mother meant: "eight hours with two two-year-olds, gonna be great." As part of the Budget this year, Health Minister Simeon Brown promised greater accessibility to urgent and after-hours healthcare in the regions, with several new 24-hour services planned around New Zealand. Health Minister Simeon Brown. Photo: RNZ/Marika Khabazi Meanwhile in Auckland, urgent care is accessible but the fees, and the wait times, are quite varied around the city. Three hours later, I crossed path with the family again - 7km away at the White Cross clinic in Mount Wellington. At White Cross Otāhuhu, the cost for an un-enrolled adult without a community services card is $70. Meanwhile in Mount Wellington, the fee is $130. The mother said they were sent by staff at Otāhuhu to Mount Wellington at no extra cost, so their wait could be shortened by half. They told me the Mount Wellington waiting room is much quieter than Otāhuhu. Further south, the cheapest White Cross clinic is in Manurewa, where an un-enrolled adult without a discount pays $60, and $15 if ACC offers cover. Enrolled adults pay $18, and if they've got ACC coverage, it's free. It's an attractive price for many patients. A woman told me this is the cheapest clinic that she knows of, and she drove 10km that day to see the doctor. "Just for a follow up, it's $18." Another man told me the price is vastly different between two clinics 9km apart. "In Takanini, I think the charge for a repeat prescription is around $15 to $20, but here it's around $7 to $10." Meanwhile in Remuera, one of Auckland's affluent suburbs, the White Cross Ascot 24/7 charges $130 - more than double the $60 charged in Manurewa. A couple who just finished their consultation told me they are enrolled with the Tāmaki Health network, so it cost them $80 in Remuera. They say their bill could be cheaper if they travelled to a clinic further away, but in this case, they think their health is more important than the money they could save. "It was $80 because I was in pain, and this was the nearest hospital from my work," the woman said. "Where we go most of the time, it's about $17 or $18, then if it's after 5pm, that's $35. But she was working here, so it was convenient for her to come here," her partner added. Their wait that day was two hours. Malcolm Mulholland from Patient Voice Aotearoa said cost was the number one factor in determining whether patients access healthcare. "I know that there are a number of families and patients out there who won't go and see their GP, primarily because of cost. And when that situation does arise, what tends to happen is as the patient's health deteriorates, they end up going to the ED and that's why we are seeing ED with record number of patients." Mulholland said many factors play into how practices price their fees: location, competition, demand and funding level are just a few. He lives in Palmerston North, where there is only one after-hours clinic. It costs $210 to see a doctor during normal hours, and $240 on weeknights. The Palmerston North clinic also belongs to Tāmaki Health, which manages the White Cross network of urgent medical clinics. Tāmaki Health declined to comment, or provide a statement for this story. I asked Mulholland if there's anything patients can do to cut their bill. "Sadly not. I don't know if there is much that patients can do other than try to be seen during the day. But again, you're gonna run into problems with GP practices being full and then the wait time to see a GP. "I think that's a really sad state of affairs because you're essentially asking patients to triage themselves and patients won't always make the right decision." And Mulholland said it all came back to the desperate need for more doctors. "Patients are worried about their health. They can't get access to a GP or a doctor, whether that be during the normal working hours or via an ED. And so they're going wherever they think they might be seen." In May, the government announced a $164 million investment in urgent care. As part of the improvement, the agency noted it would implement a nationally consistent fee and subsidies schedule. In a statement to First Up, director of Living Well at Health New Zealand Martin Hefford said, "Health New Zealand is shifting from a fragmented system with wide fee variation to one that's more transparent and predictable across the country." There would still be some variation of fees, Hefford said, but the details were not finalised yet. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beach campaigners recreate Pink Floyd album art
A campaign group against plans to bring an electricity cable from an offshore wind farm onshore at a Devon beach have staged a Pink Floyd-inspired demonstration. White Cross offshore wind farm's plans at Saunton Sands - where the rock band shot the cover for its 1987 album A Momentary Lapse of Reason - were approved by North Devon Council on 7 May, despite more than 1,800 objections. Founder of Save Our Sands, Helen Cooper, held the demonstration on Sunday morning. She said: "If this can be approved in this area, nowhere is safe." North Devon councillors were won over by the developers' argument the project would create new jobs and bring renewable energy to the region. White Cross offshore wind farm wants to put seven floating turbines about 30 miles (52km) off the north Devon coast and plans to bring a power cable onshore at Saunton Sands, then under Braunton Burrows and across the Taw Estuary to connect to a new electricity substation. Ms Cooper said she was "bitterly disappointed but not surprised" after plans were approved. She said the idea for the demonstration came after the council's planning meeting, in which she said she thought the council had its own "momentary lapse of reason to have approved" the plans. When plans were approved, Al Rayner, the project director for White Cross, promised his company would "inject £153m into the local economy" and it was an "enormous" opportunity. Objectors at the planning meeting cited concerns about the impact on tourism, on the environment and about high numbers of heavy goods vehicles. About 100 members of the public came to the meeting with the vast majority against the plans, while leading figures from business and education spoke in favour of the application. The Pink Floyd album artwork depicts dozens of beds with metal frames stretching out far into the distance on the beach, with a man sitting on one bed holding a mirror. Members of the campaign group raised about £895 in less than 24 hours to fund the demonstration, Ms Cooper said. More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon "We've been really overwhelmed by the support," she added. "It's to highlight the fact that we feel... we have been silenced. "What we're trying to do is highlight the fact that we really need people to value this area a lot more. "It's a very precious environment. "We feel if this can be approved in this area, nowhere is safe, nowhere in the UK, nowhere in the world." Ms Cooper said the campaign group had not been set up against the wind farm or the cable itself, but it was against the cable route. She added: "Our beauty, our ecology, our environment is so very special, not just in North Devon, and that doesn't seem to be given the sort of respect it deserves." The BBC has asked North Devon Council for comment. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Beach electricity cable plans approved Protest over power line plan for Devon beach North Devon Council Save Our Sands
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beach campaigners recreate Pink Floyd album art
A campaign group against plans to bring an electricity cable from an offshore wind farm onshore at a Devon beach have staged a Pink Floyd-inspired demonstration. White Cross offshore wind farm's plans at Saunton Sands - where the rock band shot the cover for its 1987 album A Momentary Lapse of Reason - were approved by North Devon Council on 7 May, despite more than 1,800 objections. Founder of Save Our Sands, Helen Cooper, held the demonstration on Sunday morning. She said: "If this can be approved in this area, nowhere is safe." North Devon councillors were won over by the developers' argument the project would create new jobs and bring renewable energy to the region. 'Bitterly disappointed' White Cross offshore wind farm wants to put seven floating turbines about 30 miles (52km) off the north Devon coast and plans to bring a power cable onshore at Saunton Sands, then under Braunton Burrows and across the Taw Estuary to connect to a new electricity substation. ADVERTISEMENT Ms Cooper said she was "bitterly disappointed but not surprised" after plans were approved. She said the idea for the demonstration came after the council's planning meeting, in which she said she thought the council had its own "momentary lapse of reason to have approved" the plans. When plans were approved, Al Rayner, the project director for White Cross, promised his company would "inject £153m into the local economy" and it was an "enormous" opportunity. Objectors at the planning meeting cited concerns about the impact on tourism, on the environment and about high numbers of heavy goods vehicles. About 100 members of the public came to the meeting with the vast majority against the plans, while leading figures from business and education spoke in favour of the application. ADVERTISEMENT The Pink Floyd album artwork depicts dozens of beds with metal frames stretching out far into the distance on the beach, with a man sitting on one bed holding a mirror. Members of the campaign group raised about £895 in less than 24 hours to fund the demonstration, Ms Cooper said. "We've been really overwhelmed by the support," she added. "It's to highlight the fact that we feel... we have been silenced. "What we're trying to do is highlight the fact that we really need people to value this area a lot more. "It's a very precious environment. "We feel if this can be approved in this area, nowhere is safe, nowhere in the UK, nowhere in the world." Ms Cooper said the campaign group had not been set up against the wind farm or the cable itself, but it was against the cable route. ADVERTISEMENT She added: "Our beauty, our ecology, our environment is so very special, not just in North Devon, and that doesn't seem to be given the sort of respect it deserves." The BBC has asked North Devon Council for comment. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ More on this story Related internet links
BBC News
01-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Saunton Sands campaign group recreate Pink Floyd album cover
A campaign group against plans to bring an electricity cable from an offshore wind farm onshore at a Devon beach have staged a Pink Floyd-inspired Cross offshore wind farm's plans at Saunton Sands - where the rock band shot the cover for its 1987 album A Momentary Lapse of Reason - were approved by North Devon Council on 7 May, despite more than 1,800 objections. Founder of Save Our Sands, Helen Cooper, held the demonstration on Sunday morning. She said: "If this can be approved in this area, nowhere is safe."North Devon councillors were won over by the developers' argument the project would create new jobs and bring renewable energy to the region. 'Bitterly disappointed' White Cross offshore wind farm wants to put seven floating turbines about 30 miles (52km) off the north Devon coast and plans to bring a power cable onshore at Saunton Sands, then under Braunton Burrows and across the Taw Estuary to connect to a new electricity Cooper said she was "bitterly disappointed but not surprised" after plans were said the idea for the demonstration came after the council's planning meeting, in which she said she thought the council had its own "momentary lapse of reason to have approved" the plans were approved, Al Rayner, the project director for White Cross, promised his company would "inject £153m into the local economy" and it was an "enormous" opportunity. Objectors at the planning meeting cited concerns about the impact on tourism, on the environment and about high numbers of heavy goods 100 members of the public came to the meeting with the vast majority against the plans, while leading figures from business and education spoke in favour of the Pink Floyd album artwork depicts dozens of beds with metal frames stretching out far into the distance on the beach, with a man sitting on one bed holding a of the campaign group raised about £895 in less than 24 hours to fund the demonstration, Ms Cooper said. "We've been really overwhelmed by the support," she added. "It's to highlight the fact that we feel... we have been silenced."What we're trying to do is highlight the fact that we really need people to value this area a lot more."It's a very precious environment. "We feel if this can be approved in this area, nowhere is safe, nowhere in the UK, nowhere in the world."Ms Cooper said the campaign group had not been set up against the wind farm or the cable itself, but it was against the cable route. She added: "Our beauty, our ecology, our environment is so very special, not just in North Devon, and that doesn't seem to be given the sort of respect it deserves."The BBC has asked North Devon Council for comment.
Sky News
10-05-2025
- General
- Sky News
The communities fighting green energy infrastructure in Devon and Wales
Why you can trust Sky News It's not often there are security guards on the door and hundreds queuing to get into a local council planning meeting - but such is the strength of feeling here in North Devon, that was exactly the case this week. After months of campaigns, site visits, ecological and economical reports, North Devon Council was set to vote on a hugely controversial plan to run major electrical cables from a new offshore wind farm to Saunton Sands and under the dunes around it. A UNESCO biosphere and one of the UK's top tourist beaches, there has been no shortage of local opposition - 1,843 objections to be precise. "Essentially, we're not against the wind farm. We are pro-renewables as a group," says Helen Cooper, the head of Save Our Sands, which is against the proposal. "Our concern is that it seems like they've probably just put a pin in a map and gone, oh, that's a nice long sandy beach, let's land there." Fellow campaigner Liz Seymour says the area is a "hotspot" for nature - from lizards to snakes. "Most people come to North Devon for the value of the nature here. It's world class by nature. "It's illogical to tarnish an area that's pristine and an UNESCO biosphere for the sake of one cable bringing in 100 megawatts," she adds. Local hotels, holiday lets and beach shops are all concerned about the building impact that'll last several years. The developers, White Cross, say the project will power 135,000 homes and that they've adapted plans to minimise environmental and social impacts. 'Scar through the landscape' What's happening in this corner of Devon reflects a challenge being felt in other parts of the UK too; balancing the need for cleaner energy with the impact of building the infrastructure required to deliver it. Sixty miles across the Bristol Channel in Mid Wales, there's another group mounting a legal fight. Around 300 farmers and landowners from Builth Wells down to Carmarthen have been fighting plans for 60 miles of electricity pylons, bringing clean energy from new onshore wind farms. Some have ended up in court in recent weeks after refusing access to the developers Green GEN Cymru. Dyfan Walters is from the Llandovery Pylon Community Action Group. We join him on his farm, as he points out where the two planned pylons will go. "It would have a massive impact on the landscape. These oak trees you see behind us, hundreds of those trees on the route of the pylon line, they would have to be felled. It would cut a sort of scar through the landscape really," he said. He, and many landowners, want the cables to be ploughed underground instead. "These cables could have been installed by now to be honest. If they'd worked with us two years ago when we offered, every farm down this valley would have opened up and the cables would have been in place," he said. Doing that is too expensive, according to developers. Green GEN Cymru told Sky News it will always look to "reduce the visual impact of our projects where possible" - but that "fully undergrounding routes is not economically viable". Locals' anger Back in North Devon, there's been nearly six hours of heated debate - for and against. There have been boos and cheers; not every local is against it - some want the area to lead the way in clean energy amid a climate crisis. But the majority here are angry that going green is coming at the cost of harming the very environment it is meant to protect. A vote is taken: Ten for, two against, one abstention. Planning for the cable is approved. An air of disappointment hangs inside Barnstable Rugby Club. I catch up with Helen. "I take some comfort in the fact it wasn't unanimous - it was a very heated debate," she said. "We'll re-group, we'll have a look, we believe we've got good grounds for a legal challenge on this." Her group has raised £10,000 and hopes to continue the fight. A spokesperson for the Department for Energy and Net Zero told Sky News that securing Britain's clean energy future "will require improving infrastructure in a cost-effective way" to get renewable electricity on the grid. It added that without this infrastructure, "we will leave families exposed to volatile fossil fuel markets and energy price spikes". But whether it's pylons, solar, wind farms - the government's push for infrastructure to go green is causing friction on the local frontline. Standing on the dunes overlooking Saunton Sands, Helen believes ripping up this environment isn't the answer. "This is being so undervalued. The developers want to go through irreplaceable habitat. Just think about that. It's irreplaceable habitat," she said.
