District health boards will provide free after-hours care for more than 60% of under-6-year-olds by July, and it was never the plan to do so for all young children by then, a spokeswoman for Health Minister Tony Ryall says.
In late October, Mr Ryall announced the election promise. It was to cost about $7 million a year, the money to be found from efficiencies in the sector.
"DHBs will negotiate with local GP networks and after-hours clinics on a district by district basis aiming for a 1 July 2012 rollout," the October statement said.
This week, the spokeswoman said work continued on meeting next year's target of 75%, and 90% by July 2014.
Funding was being made available and would be outlined closer to the May Budget, the spokeswoman said.
Phasing the programme had always been planned, and it was progressing well, she said.
Parents paid up to $100 for after-hours consultations, with an average fee of $17, the statement from Mr Ryall in October said.
Labour health spokeswoman Maryan Street said she had not previously heard the programme was to be phased in rather than have a general start time.
The phase-in suggested DHBs would be expected to meet the cost out of baseline funding.
She expected the Budget funding announcement would involve "reprioritised funding", which really meant cuts to other services, she said.
She said DHBs would get no more than $262.5 million new money in 2012-13, which was not enough to "stand still", given all the other cost pressures on DHBs.
Mornington Health Centre practice manager Barbara Bridger said the Dunedin health centre had heard nothing yet about funding for the programme, and awaited the Budget announcement.
Southern District Health Board funding and finance general manager Robert Mackway-Jones said the DHB was targeting 60% access in July, and was working with the Southern Primary Health Organisation to achieve that.
