[toxic]

Hi folks.

My wife and I are in Auckland on work permits, and we have just received our ITA. Yay!

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good Doctor in Auckland for our Medicals? We're living in the CBD, and while there are quite a few with offices near NZIS on Queen Street (some with large "Immigration Medicals" signs over their doors), but I have mixed feelings about just choosing one at random, especially if the Doctor feels that he has to advertise.

[KerryS]

I went to QuayMed medical centre on Beach Road. The nurse there is fab (Nurse Betty), and I had all my xray and blood tests done really quickly.
Everyone at the practice is really friendly and helpful, and they go out of their way to get things done for you.
They have good opening hours too - until 8pm, and are open at weekends too.

I liked them so much I signed up with them to be my GP!

[toots]

We had ours done in Browns Bay, just walked into a GP's and made an appointment, and they sent us up to Shorecare for the blood tests and Xrays, over and done with in no time at all.
It used to be that any doctor could do them for you, I don't think that this has changed since we had ours.

[NannyOgg]

Toots

Can you remember hw mucg they charged you in Browns Bay? Have just asked at Torbay Med Centre and it is $200 per adukt, $150 per child then $90 for xrays and $80 for bloods - how does that compare?

Did you settle in BB? How long ago? PM me if you'd rather.

Cheers

Nanny

[toots]

Hi, I think it was quite a bit less than that but it was just before the new, more comprehensive medicals were introduced, I think the price went up shortly afterwards. Most doctors should be able to tell you their prices up front and it may be worth shopping around a bit to see if there's any difference between them.

Browns Bay is lovely, has a good little shopping area, free parking, a lovely beach front, tennis, bowls, rugby facilities, bit hilly in places but quite charming too. The schools are good and the view from the beach over Rangi and the Gulf is stunning. We settled very well there but had a hankering after the countryside and moved out west to the coast after about 18 months. Like most of the North Shore it's quite densely urbanised but you do get used to that after a while and it is surprisingly peaceful, almost sleepy in places.

[Crystal Lil]

Just thought I'd add my tuppence worth...

Got my meds done at CityMed, on the corner of Albert St and Mills Lane in central Auckland (down at the bottom of Queen Street). I phoned around a few in Auckland and they were just about the cheapest and the most convenient. It cost $290 - though this was in Nov 06 and I think the woman said it was going up by $20 the following week - and it was over and done with really quickly. You just turn up with your forms filled in and your passport photos, the nurse takes a urine sample and your blood pressure, then you go to see the doctor who whisks through your form with you, listens to your chest and tests your joint flexibility (don't worry - no yoga is required...) - then you go and get your blood samples taken, then your x-rays done and you're out of there.

Some doctors don't do the xrays on site so you have to make a seperate appointment for them. I liked the idea that you could just turn up and get it all done in the same place. You go back 2 days later to get the results of the xray and blood tests, then you're ready to rock and roll down to the immigration office on Queen street. Job done.