A fresh plea for a helping hand for primary care, to ease the pressure on hospital emergency departments. 

An opinion piece in today's New Zealand Medical Journal suggests ED overcrowding may not be caused by unnecessary visits, but an increase in more urgent cases. 

But Northcare Accident and Medical's Peter Boot says primary care is more efficient at dealing with small issues filing EDs, and it needs investment. 

He told Tim Dower that 30% of General Practices are technically insolvent. 

Boot says doctors are leaving, and about half of the workforce are older or planning to retire in the short term so there's a crisis in primary care. 

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