A comparison of Māori and non-Māori experiences of general practice

To compare Māori and non-Māori experiences in relation to access to general practice care.

A semi-structured personal questionnaire was administered in telephone surveys of random samples of 651 Māori and 400 non-Māori consumers. Differences in these groups of consumers' experiences of accessing general practice care were compared statistically.

Compared with the non-Māori, the Māori respondents on average were younger and less advantaged in their socioeconomic and health status. Māori were more likely to report needing their last visit urgently. Most respondents reported seeing a GP when they wanted, but non-Māori were more likely than Māori to have this preference met. Fewer Māori said they were offered a choice of appointment times or were seen on time.

Māori still report high health needs and being less likely to be offered choices at their general practice, to be seen on time, or to be seen within their preferred timeframe. Additional work is needed to align Māori and non-Māori experiences of general practice care.