The Doctors Lower Hutt

15/02/2026

⚠️ SERVICE UPDATE 16/02/2026

Dear patients, due to the extreme weather across the region today effecting staffing, we will unfortunately have to cancel and/or rearrange some appointments today.

If your appointment is going to be affected, a member of our team will be in touch ASAP to rearrange this for you. Many apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Please keep an eye out on this page for any further updates.

Kind regards,
The Doctors Lower Hutt

01/02/2026

📣 12-MONTH SCRIPT LEGISLATION CHANGES

From 1st February 2026 changes to prescribing lengths have come into action, allowing GPs to issue prescriptions up to 12-months in length to some patients, if clinically safe to do so. The decision on the appropriate prescription length will be entirely down to the GP’s discretion on a case-by-case basis but primarily aims at providing easier access to medication for people with long-term, stable conditions.

There are certain prescriptions which cannot be issued more frequently, for example:
▪ Controlled medicines (e.g. opioids, stimulants, etc).
▪ Medications/conditions that require frequent monitoring
▪ Some important points to consider:

Issuing a 12-month prescription comes with an agreement that you must attend at least once per year for a medication review, to check if your medication and/or dosage is still suitable.

Even with a 12-month prescription you cannot collect 12-months’ worth of your medication at once—medicines can still only be collected in 3-month instalments.

All instalments throughout the 12-month period must be collected from the same pharmacy. A 12-month prescription cannot be split between different pharmacies.

Please see the links below for more information on the changes, and what this means for you.
🟢Health NZ’s Increasing Prescribing Lengths factsheet:https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/2025-05/Factsheet%20-%20Increasing%20prescribing%20lengths.pdf
🟢The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners FAQ:https://www.rnzcgp.org.nz/documents/650/12-month_prescription_changes_FAQs_FINAL_2.pdf

28/01/2026

📣 Dear patients, we're excited to announce that patients of The Doctors Silverstream, The Doctors Muritai + The Doctors Lower Hutt can now book Gender Affirming Medicine consultations with Dr AJ Eckert!

Dr Eckert has on 19 years' experience, including 11 years as a primary healthcare doctors specialising in LGBTQIA+ health, sexual health, and gender affirming healthcare services. This is a supportive, informed consent clinic, taking place at the Silverstream practice, for patients of all ages, identities, and gender expression.

Starting with an initial 60-minute consultation to discuss your individual needs and goals, Dr Eckert can help with:
🏳️‍⚧️ Hormone prescribing + monitoring for both binary and nonbinary people.
🏳️‍🌈 Micro-dosing and lower dose hormone therapy.
🏳️‍⚧️ Assistance with + referral for gender affirming procedures and surgeries.
🏳️‍🌈 Pre- and post-operative gender affirming exams.
🏳️‍⚧️ Pelvic exams + Pap smears.
🏳️‍🌈 PrEP + PEP prescribing.
🏳️‍⚧️ STI + HIV testing.

Currently, appointments for this clinic can only be booked via reception--if you are interested in making a booking, or have any questions, please give the team a call on (04) 527 7376.

Kind regards,
The Doctors Silverstream.

19/01/2026

📣 Dear patients, we're excited to announce that patients of The Doctors Silverstream, The Doctors Muritai + The Doctors Lower Hutt can now book Gender Affirming Medicine consultations with Dr AJ Eckert!

Dr Eckert has on 19 years' experience, including 11 years as a primary healthcare doctors specialising in LGBTQIA+ health, sexual health, and gender affirming healthcare services. This is a supportive, informed consent clinic, taking place at the Silverstream practice, for patients of all ages, identities, and gender expression.

Starting with an initial 60-minute consultation to discuss your individual needs and goals, Dr Eckert can help with:
🏳️‍⚧️ Hormone prescribing + monitoring for both binary and nonbinary people.
🏳️‍🌈 Micro-dosing and lower dose hormone therapy.
🏳️‍⚧️ Assistance with + referral for gender affirming procedures and surgeries.
🏳️‍🌈 Pre- and post-operative gender affirming exams.
🏳️‍⚧️ Pelvic exams + Pap smears.
🏳️‍🌈 PrEP + PEP prescribing.
🏳️‍⚧️ STI + HIV testing.

Currently, appointments for this clinic can only be booked via reception--if you are interested in making a booking, or have any questions, please give team at The Doctors Silverstream a call on (04) 527 7376

Kind regards,
The Doctors Lower Hutt

11/01/2026

✨ New Sexual Health Clinic at The Doctors Silverstream ✨

We’re now running a dedicated Sexual Health Clinic for enrolled patients of The Doctors Silverstream, Lower Hutt, and Muritai.

📅 Mondays, Tuesdays & Fridays
📍 The Doctors Silverstream

Services available:
✔ Contraception consultations
✔ IUD consultations, insertions & removals
✔ Jadelle consultations & implants (*removals with Dr Castillo)
✔ STI screenings (booked or walk-ins welcome)
✔ Cervical screening
✔ Support for other concerns such as thrush, BV & STI symptoms

💡 Some enrolled patients may be eligible for funding towards minor gynaecological procedures and contraception — your nurse will let you know at your appointment.

📞 To book, call The Doctors Silverstream on 04 527 7376 or ask at Reception.

24/12/2025

If you're usual General Practice is closed over Christmas and New Year, we have appointments available right the way through, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and New Years Day and the Day After New Years Day.

Call us on 0800 772 2758 or visit our website www.practiceplus.nz for to find out more, or book an appointment!

10/12/2025

🎆 PUBLIC HOLIDAYS – CHRISTMAS + NEW YEAR

As the festive period is quickly approaching, a quick reminder that scripts have a turnaround of up to a 72-hours. If your current script is coming to an end and you will need a renewal over this period, please remember to get your script requests in as early as possible!

Please find our adjusted opening hours for the holiday week as follows:

Wednesday 24th December -- Early Close @ 12:00
Thursday 25th December -- CLOSED (Christmas Day)
Friday 26th December -- CLOSED (Boxing Day)

Monday 29th to Wednesday 31st December-- URGENT CLINIC ONSITE @ THE DOCTORS SILVERSTREAM
Thursday 1st January -- CLOSED (New Year's Day)
Friday 2nd January -- CLOSED (Day After New Year's Day)
Monday 5th January -- Normal Hours Resume

Similarly to last year, during the period between the Christmas and New Year public holidays we will be operating a GP and nurse clinic onsite at The Doctors Silverstream premises (Shop 1, Cnr Kiln St. and Whitemans Road, Silverstream Village Shops, Silverstream, Upper Hutt, 5012).

REMINDER:
- Practice Plus will still be available for virtual consultations between 08:00 - 20:00
- Lower Hutt After Hours Medical Centre will be open Public Holiday hours from 08:00 - 22:00
- In a Medical Emergency please dial 111

Kind regards, The Doctors Lower Hutt

01/12/2025

From today--Monday 1st December 2025--Lower Hutt After Hours Medical Centre is starting their extended opening hours:

🩺 The walk-in urgent care centre is now open every day from 08:00AM to 10:00PM

🩺 Now located on Level 1, Verve on Connolly, 2 Connolly St., Lower Hutt

🩺 For fees and more information, please see their website:

Lower Hutt After Hours Medical Centre. We operate a no appointment necessary walk-in clinic in Lower Hutt for all your medical needs.

30/10/2025

🩺 A REMINDER OF LOCAL AFTER-HOURS CARE AVAILABLE 🩺

Lower Hutt After-Hours Medical Centre → Walk-in Centre
https://www.lowerhuttafterhours.co.nz/
Every Day 08:00 - 22:00 (inc. weekends + public holidays)
Level 1, Verve on Connolly, 2 Connolly Street, Lower Hutt
(ph: 04 567 5345)

Wellington After-Hours Medical Centre → Walk-in Centre
https://www.wamc.co.nz/
Every Day 08:00 - 21:00 (inc. weekends + public holidays)
17 Adelaide Road, Mount Cook, Wellington
(ph: 04 384 4944)

Practice Plus → Online-Only (Phone or Video)
https://practiceplus.nz/
Weekdays 09:00 - 22:00
Weekends + Public Holidays 08:00 - 20:00
(ph: 0800 7722 7587)

If you have a medical emergency, please call 111

30/10/2025

📌 Please be aware that messages + posts sent to our page are not monitored. Please call or email the centre if you have any questions.

For any urgent queries, please call the centre on (04) 555 4450.

If your question is in regard to a complaint, please email the centre your concerns on reception@mu.thedoctors.co.nz, and mark the email ‘for attention of the Practice Manager’.

For Medical Emergencies please call 111.

For After-Hours or same day assistance please visit Lower Hutt After-Hours Medical Centre or book with The Doctors Online (www.thedoctorsonline.co.nz) for virtual appointments.

Kind regards,
The Doctors Lower Hutt.