Te Aro Health Centre (TAHC) is a very low cost health practice at 331 Willis Street, Te Aro, Wellington, established in 1985 in response to a need for increased health care for people living on the streets of inner-city Wellington. The centre's priority is enrolling those who are homeless, those with a history of drug and alcohol abuse, and those living with mental illness, alongside anyone in Wellington's inner city facing barriers to accessing healthcare.
TAHC's mission is built around the belief that the price of seeing a medical practitioner is one of the key barriers to people getting the care they deserve, and its charges are set to create access rather than restrict it. The centre has held 'Cornerstone' accreditation from the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners since 2004, re-accredited in 2011 and again in 2022, and is governed by a Trust Board including Michael Hofmann-Body and Graham Goodison.
Beyond its Willis Street clinic, TAHC runs outreach services across central Wellington, including four days a week at DCM on Lukes Lane, a weekly session at the Compassion Soup Kitchen on Tory Street, a fortnightly visit to Strathmore Park Community Centre, and free Hepatitis C testing twice monthly at the Wellington Needle Exchange. The centre also supports gender-affirming healthcare according to established clinical guidelines, runs a national measles vaccination push for 15-30 year olds, and offers a Health Coach service to help patients manage medical conditions and build healthier habits.
Te Aro Health Centre (TAHC) was established in 1985 in response to a need for increased health care for people living on the streets of inner-city Wellington. Four decades on, the centre has grown to work with an extensive range of vulnerable populations across central Wellington and surrounding suburbs, with a continued priority on enrolling people who are homeless, people with a history of drug and alcohol abuse, and people living with mental illness.
TAHC's guiding belief is straightforward: the price of seeing a medical practitioner is one of the key barriers keeping people from the care they deserve, so the centre's charges are deliberately set to create access rather than limit it. The centre holds 'Cornerstone' accreditation from the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, first achieved in 2004 and renewed in 2011 and again in 2022, and is overseen by a Trust Board that includes Michael Hofmann-Body and Graham Goodison.
For patients with a Community Services Card, a GP or Nurse Practitioner consultation (including ACC) is $13 for adults and $11 for those aged 14-17, a nurse consultation is $7, and care for anyone under 14 is free. Repeat prescriptions cost $7. For registered patients who no longer hold a CSC, GP/Nurse Practitioner consultations rise to $25 for adults and $20 for 14-17 year olds, nurse consultations are $15 (or $13 for 14-17 year olds), and repeat prescriptions are $15.
Other services include liquid nitrogen treatment ($11), cervical smears ($13), driver's licence medicals ($26), private medical certificates for activities like diving or boxing ($62), and a non-funded flu vaccine ($25). Urgent prescription requests are processed within 24 hours for $15, while non-urgent requests take two working days and cost $7 with a CSC or $15 without one. From 1 February 2026, patients with a stable long-term condition like asthma, diabetes, or high blood pressure may be eligible for a prescription lasting up to 12 months, meaning fewer visits purely to renew a script — though pharmacy pickups are still required roughly every three months.
TAHC's main clinic runs Monday to Friday, 9am to 12noon and 1pm to 4:30pm, closed on weekends — but the centre's outreach work extends well beyond that. The team is now at DCM, 2 Lukes Lane, four days a week from Monday to Thursday, 9am to 12noon. On Thursdays, TAHC also runs a session at the Compassion Soup Kitchen on Tory Street from 4:45 to 5:45pm. Every second Monday morning, the team is based at Strathmore Park Community Centre from 9am to 12pm for locals who find it hard to get into the Te Aro clinic. On the first and third Thursday of each month, TAHC offers free Hepatitis C testing at the Wellington Needle Exchange from 1 to 4pm.
TAHC welcomes and supports people seeking gender-affirming healthcare, providing prescriptions and care according to established clinical guidelines, though it does not prescribe treatment outside those guidelines. On ADHD, the centre is not currently offering new assessments, but can prescribe medication and provide ongoing monitoring for patients with an existing confirmed diagnosis. The centre is also part of a national measles campaign targeting the immunity gap among 15-30 year olds, encouraging anyone unsure of their MMR vaccination status to get checked.
Patients can also access a Health Coach, who helps people manage medical conditions and build strategies around sleep, eating, or exercise, with ongoing support to stay on track with new habits.
Outside clinic hours, registered patients can access same-day virtual after-hours GP appointments through Practice Plus. For urgent care, the Wellington Accident & Urgent Medical Centre on Adelaide Road is open daily from 8am to 9pm (at a cost, with a reduced fee for TAHC patients with a CSC seen after 5pm, on weekends, or public holidays), while the Emergency Department at Wellington Regional Hospital is open 24 hours at no cost. To register or book an appointment at TAHC, patients can call 04 385 0255 or email [email protected].