The group representing primary and community health providers is calling for better resourcing and support.
It comes after six ambulances were turned away from Auckland Hospital earlier this month because the department was too full.
The hospital was under so much pressure patients had to be treated in a public space normally used as a backup in case of mass injuries such as from a plane crash or earthquake.
Federation of Primary Health Aotearoa New Zealand executive director Angela Francis told AM on Thursday patients are waiting "weeks" to visit the GPs (general practitioners) only to be sent to ED because their condition has deteriorated.
"Patients who are waiting to see their GPs have to wait usually four weeks to get an appointment. What happens is because their condition often worsens in that timeframe, they end up going to the ED as the preferred default primary care provider," Francis told AM co-host Melissa Chan-Green.
"That puts loading on ED and we've seen in the news this week about St John's ambulances having to be turned away because EDs are overflowing and do not currently have the capacity or the workforce to deal with what is considered urgent cases."
Watch the full interview with Angela Francis in the video above.
