People living on Rakiura, also called Stewart Island, say it is hard and expensive to get medical care because there has not been a full-time GP there for at least 10 years. The island has about 480 residents, and nurses are the only permanent healthcare workers based at the health centre in Oban. A recent survey found many people were worried about the cost, stress and delays involved in seeing a doctor.
The survey of 78 residents showed that many people praised the nurses, calling them amazing and dedicated. However, they said the biggest problem was needing to travel to the mainland for GP appointments. Trips to Bluff or Invercargill can cost hundreds of dollars once flights or boat travel are included. Bad weather can also stop people from getting to their appointments on time.
Some residents said long waits made the problem even worse. One person said it could take six weeks to get an appointment with a GP in Invercargill. If the plane or boat could not travel because of the weather, they might have to wait another six weeks. Others said this meant people sometimes delayed getting help when they were unwell.
The report also revealed that in July 2025 the island had no resident nurse for three days after both nurses became sick and no replacement could be found. Health New Zealand said it alerted St John and police, and made a charge nurse at Southland Hospital available by phone. Residents said they were concerned about burnout among the nurses and worried the health centre was old and overcrowded.
Health New Zealand is now reviewing how healthcare is provided on the island. It is looking at better links to mainland GPs, stronger digital support and possible visiting doctors. For now, it is not planning to place a full-time GP on Stewart Island. Some residents say that would be a luxury, while others believe regular visiting doctors could make a big difference.
