Karori Medical Centre has been caring for the Karori community since 1976, and is now planning for its next 50 years with a purpose-built medical centre and associated health services under construction on Campbell Street, Karori, due to open in Spring 2027. The practice currently operates from 11 Parkvale Road and 146 Karori Road in Wellington.
The centre is run by a large team of General Practitioners, several of whom are practice Directors, supported by a team of Registered Nurses, a Physiotherapist, a Clinical Pharmacist, a Health Improvement Practitioner and a Mental Health Counsellor, alongside a dedicated management and medical administration team. Beyond routine GP consultations, the practice runs dedicated nurse clinics, immunisation services (including childhood immunisations and additional vaccines outside the standard schedule), a travel medicine clinic — Karori Medical Centre is a New Zealand certified Yellow Fever Centre — ear micro suctioning, sports and general podiatry through visiting podiatrist John Sloane, and a range of tests and examinations including spirometry, ECGs and driving licence medicals.
Patients can also use Well, the practice's online patient portal, to view consultation notes and test results, message their doctor securely, request repeat prescriptions, and book appointments. And in a detail that says something about the practice's atmosphere: Pearl, an Australian Labradoodle known as the official "Dogter," joins Dr Richard Hornabrook at the practice most weekday mornings and is happy to meet patients for a pat.
Karori Medical Centre has been looking after the Karori community since 1976, and the practice is now investing in its future: a purpose-built medical centre and associated health services is under construction on Campbell Street, Karori, due to open in Spring 2027. In the meantime, the practice continues operating from its current sites at 11 Parkvale Road and 146 Karori Road in Wellington.
What stands out about Karori Medical Centre is the sheer size and range of its team. The practice is staffed by a large group of General Practitioners — several of whom serve as practice Directors — supported by Registered Nurses, a Physiotherapist, a Clinical Pharmacist, a Health Improvement Practitioner and a Mental Health Counsellor. Behind the scenes, a management team and medical administration team keep the practice running, covering everything from finance and nursing leadership to reception and admin support.
The practice's services extend well past routine consultations. Its Tests and Examinations service covers minor surgical procedures such as mole removal, spirometry, electrocardiographs, diabetic reviews, infusions and driving licence medicals. Registered Nurses run dedicated clinics covering wound care, cervical screening, blood pressure monitoring, ECGs, sexual health, smoking cessation, long term condition management (including diabetes, COPD and asthma), IV infusions, and nurse prescriber consultations for minor ailments like urinary tract infections, eczema, and ear and throat infections. Nurse clinics run 8.30am to 5pm on weekdays and 9am to 12pm on Saturday mornings, with standard appointments of around 15 minutes.
Karori Medical Centre is a New Zealand certified Yellow Fever Centre, and its travel medicine clinic — run by a Registered Nurse or Doctor specialising in travel health — covers vaccines including Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, Polio, Rabies, Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis, and Meningitis B and ACWY. Patients are asked to complete a pre-travel questionnaire ahead of their appointment so the team can prepare tailored advice.
On the immunisation side, the practice follows the standard childhood immunisation schedule — covering diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease, rotavirus and measles, mumps and rubella — alongside additional vaccines outside the standard schedule, such as chicken pox and pneumococcal vaccination for adults and children over two. The practice also runs an annual influenza immunisation programme, with free vaccination for eligible people until the end of June each year.
Sports and general podiatry is available through visiting podiatrist John Sloane, based at the Village Health Centre on Karori Road. John trained at CIT before practising at Guys Hospital in London, later completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Medicine at Otago University and Level 1 biomechanical accreditation. His clinic uses digital biomechanical analysis and electromyographic muscle evaluation to treat conditions from the lower back down, alongside general podiatry for nails, corns and everyday foot care, plus home visits where necessary. Separately, the practice's Registered Nurses are trained in ear micro suctioning — a microscope-guided, gentle method for removing wax and debris from the ear canal.
Karori Medical Centre's Well patient portal lets patients view their consultation notes and test results, message their doctor securely, request repeat prescriptions and book appointments online, cutting down the need to call in for routine matters (charges do apply for brief medical advice and repeat prescription requests through the portal).
The practice accepts cash, Eftpos, Visa, Mastercard, internet banking, Manage My Health and Pay-by-link. Any consultation fee not settled on the day incurs an additional $10 administration fee, and a fee may be charged for a missed or cancelled appointment without at least 2 hours' notice. Patients who can't pay in full on the day can arrange a regular automatic payment plan with reception, which avoids the additional charge.
Amid all the clinical services, Karori Medical Centre has a lighter side too: Pearl, an Australian Labradoodle known around the practice as the official "Dogter," comes in with her human, Dr Richard Hornabrook, most weekday mornings. She's calm, affectionate, and happy to greet patients for a pat between appointments — a small but memorable part of what makes this long-standing local practice feel like a genuine neighbourhood fixture.