Easing fuel and living-cost pressures, in practice

While we cannot control the wider economic environment, making clear, practical decisions in response to the current economic pressures can ease the load on our practice and our staff.

Rising fuel prices and the broader cost-of-living pressure are not only having financial implications, they are also impacting how we feel about normal day-to-day ‘necessities’, which may be affecting stress levels and causing rising anxiety for some.

It is important to focus on what we can change – how we can make small adjustments to support staff, reduce avoidable stress and keep the practice functioning well. It's a good time to examine how much pressure a practice and staff absorb in day-to-day operations, and any changes that can be made to relieve these pressures.

There is no single fix for a high-cost environment, but there are sensible things practices can do. Clear decisions made early may reduce uncertainty, make the practicalities of work feel more manageable, and stop owners and practice managers from carrying the load on their own.

Managing impacts on your staff 

Staff are likely to be more conscious of commuting costs, more sensitive to late roster changes, or feeling more stretched by the cumulative effect of economic challenges on their work and home life. 

Being proactive and examining possible small changes can help. Some ideas around this include: 

• Review rosters for avoidable late changes and unnecessary travel between sites. 

• Look at start and finish times to see if small adjustments could ease commuting pressure – are there reduced fares on public transport during off-peak hours in your area? 

• Reduce unnecessary movement between sites where the work can be organised more efficiently. 

• Consider flexibility - not every role can be remote, but some work patterns can still be made easier. 

• Facilitate conversations amongst staff about supporting each – this could include carpooling options.  

Even modest changes can make the week feel more manageable without affecting standards of care. 

Reduce unnecessary strain on resources 

When costs are rising, it helps to examine practice life and if there is scope to tighten up any areas. Travel-heavy services are one obvious example. If your practice relies on home visits, after-hours travel, rural service delivery or multiple sites, it is worth reviewing whether all that work still needs to happen in the same way. In some cases, more in-clinic care, tighter scheduling or appropriate use of virtual consultations can reduce cost and make the workload more sustainable. 

Smaller operational changes can help too: 

• Check whether service delivery is sustainable in its current form. 

• Review call-out or travel charges if these no longer reflect the real cost of providing the service, and provide clear communication where changes are needed. 

• Support staff with clear language for fee-sensitive conversations so they have a clear and consistent message to share with clients and patients. 

• Tighten scheduling where that reduces wasted travel or duplicated effort. 

The aim is to make sure effort, and resources are going where it matters most. 

External support 

Often, a concern raised early is easier to manage - both for the person raising it and for the practice. 

No practice can remove all the wider pressures staff and their patients are living with, however it is important to be aware that these can make daily work feel more predictable and less mentally draining. A team that knows where support sits and sees practical solutions is more likely to stay engaged and resilient. 

When external support is needed, it also helps if it is simple and visible. There are multiple support resources available online, and often different insurance and indemnity providers will offer complimentary EAP for staff.  Members and their families also have free access to the Āki Wellbeing Hub, which includes mental, physical and financial wellbeing resources. These services may be useful when needing perspective, practical support or a reset. 

Addressing issues now and using information and resources available to make clear, practical decisions can stops small pressures becoming larger ones in the future. 

We appreciate if you are a practice manager or business owner that you too might feel additional pressure based on the current climate, so we would recommend practicing a little self-care and reaching out to your support networks as you need. 

We are here to support you and are always willing to lend supportive, practical advice – please reach out to us at business@mas.co,.nz or call us on 0800 800 627.  

HealthyPractice welcomes your input on the topics you’d like to see covered in our newsletters, webinars and articles throughout the year. If there are any key questions, practical scenarios, emerging issues, or general topics you’d like to learn more about, please enter them here . We’ll aim to address as many suggestions as possible over the coming months.  

Best wishes from the HealthyPractice team,  
Mychaela, Nicole, Bonnie and Emma  

AI tools were used to support the drafting and refinement of this article