From 1 July 2025, Tend Health will deliver urgent same-day care directly to its enrolled patients in the Bay of Plenty, following a 15-month transition period after formally giving notice to exit the region’s existing after-hours arrangement in April 2024.
“The current after-hours model has been unsustainable for our clinicians for some time. We’ve made the decision to establish an improved, clinically and operationally sound solution, one that puts both our patients and our clinicians at the centre” says Dr Graham Denyer, Tend’s Chief Medical Officer.
Tend’s after-hours model is designed to give patients multiple pathways to access the care they need. One key feature is Online Now, a 24/7 telehealth service that connects patients with a clinician, usually within three hours. This platform enables safe, effective triage and has already helped ease pressure on in-person services. Importantly, it’s available to both enrolled patients and casual patients across the wider Bay of Plenty community.
Since its launch, Online Now has proven very effective, with close to 5,000 appointments booked by Bay of Plenty residents alone. This strong uptake highlights both the demand for convenient care options and the value of providing accessible, timely support outside of traditional clinic hours.
Dr Denyer continues: “Since we integrated the Chadwick clinics into the Tend network, we’ve seen a clear drop in visits to urgent care, about a 7 percent reduction overall, and in more recent months, with the model more fully embedded, as high as 25 percent. This is a strong sign that our patients are able to access care when they need it and that Tend is already contributing meaningfully to provision of after-hours primary care in the Bay of Plenty.”
In addition, for patients who need to be seen in person, Tend will also run dedicated Same-Day Care Clinics from Monday to Friday, with extended weekday hours to ensure access into the early evening for urgent, same-day appointments. From July, on weekends and public holidays, Tend will offer Same-Day Urgent Appointments, delivered by GP and nurse teams for cases where telehealth isn’t suitable. These appointments will be offered by referral, either through Online Now consultations or on-the-day nurse triage, ensuring patients receive timely, coordinated care.
To support the rollout, Tend is also launching a targeted health promotion campaign to help enrolled patients understand how to access same-day care.
The value of Tend’s service has already been recognised by patients using the 24/7 Online Now offering. Tend recently received feedback from a Tauranga patient, on its Online Now service, “I certainly recommend the Tend app. The doctors are local, compassionate, and actually listen to what you have to say. The $79.95 fee to have a doctor call you is far less than the $130 you’d pay at urgent care in Tauranga. Thank you for being there when I needed you most.”
“Tend is committed to delivering accessible, high-quality care for our communities while maintaining a healthy and sustainable primary care workforce. Evolving our model is part of that commitment, ensuring we continue to meet the needs of our patients and clinicians in the most responsive and effective way,” adds Dr Denyer.
Q&A:
When did Tend give notice to exit the after hours agreement?
Tend formally gave notice in April 2024, in line with our contractual obligations, giving the Western Bay of Plenty PHO ample time to plan for this changeover. Since then, we’ve focused on building our own after-hours capability, including recruiting additional clinicians locally and expanding our Online Now service to offer 24/7 care.
Why is Tend exiting the current after hours arrangement?
The current model is not sustainable for our workforce. We’ve received consistent feedback from clinicians highlighting concerns around clinical safety, workload, and overall wellbeing. This change allows us to deliver care in a way that better supports both our teams and our patients.
Why is it better and safer for Tend to deliver after-hours care to its own patients?
Tend operates a single digital health record across all four of our Bay of Plenty practices. This means every clinician has access to a patient’s full medical history, enabling safer, more informed care, whether the patient is seen in Greerton, South City, Bethlehem, Pāpāmoa, or through Online Now.
Will Tend be hiring more clinicians to support this change?
Yes. We’re actively recruiting additional GPs and nurses in the Bay of Plenty and have new clinicians joining our team in the coming months to support both in-clinic and virtual care.
Will Tend see casual patients?
Yes. Our 24/7 Online Now service already supports many casual patients in the region. While enrolled patients will be prioritised for in-clinic appointments, we are reviewing options to expand face-to-face access for casual patients as capacity allows.
