A 24/7 urgent care clinic in South Auckland is absorbing patients from the local hospital's crowded emergency department as EDs around the country hit peak winter demand.

The waiting room is often crowded at Local Doctors Otara, and more patients are now coming through the door, with another local South Auckland clinic temporarily closing due to staffing issues and sickness.

Local Doctors Otara started operating 24/7 this year to meet growing demand, and says patients have been coming to them to avoid long waits at Middlemore Hospital.

Doctor Niroshika Kotte Arachchige said wait times at Urgent Care had been up to five hours during the winter peak.

"This winter the flu season has been particularly severe. We are seeing a higher number of sick children, elderly patients, coming to our service throughout the day."

Young mother Amber-Lee Moutira brought in her baby to check out a nasty sounding cough.

"My 8-month-old baby started experiencing some flu-like, almost RSV-like symptoms and I've had a past history with experiencing RSV symptoms with my first son."

Moutira was seeing the winter peak first hand - her whole family was sick at the moment.

"It can feel back to back, just one after the other, and then when everyone gets better again, boom it starts again."

She was still waiting to see a doctor when she talked to RNZ, and said she had waited several hours at the clinic in the past.

She said the house she and her family lived in was old, and got cold and damp in the winter, which did not help her children's health.

"Especially my son's room where mould grows on the blinds, and the curtains. I've tried so many ways and the whole vinegar buzz just spraying it all the time to kill the bacteria. But I've noticed it just really sparks out during the winter time and I notice it in my bathroom."

Dr Kotte Arachchige said many patients were sent to their clinic from Middlemore, some after already spending hours waiting at the hospital.

"Sometimes some patients have waited all night and they come and see us the next day... because they have staffing issues at night also and only a few doctors working."

She said others were coming to the clinic to avoid a two to three week wait to see a GP.

RNZ understands another urgent care clinic in South Auckland - Counties Medical Urgent Care Takanini - has had to shut temporarily due to staff sickness and shortages.

Doctor Kotte Arachchige said those patients were also ending up at her clinic.

"We see patients from everywhere, we see casual patients.. patients from other urgent care... basically demand is so high here."

Dr Kotte Arachchige said stable and sustainable funding was needed to keep the clinic going 24 hours, seven days a week.

"So the funding is not just about keeping the clinic open, it is an investment in community care and reducing the pressure on the wider system as well."

Clinic community manager Liamanaia Kaisara said the community was grateful to have the clinic open 24/7.

"They are able to come anytime to the urgent service here, in your own backyard and it is the first one here, in South Auckland."

Kaisara said the clinic also had health coaches and health improvement practitioners, to help take the strain off the doctors and nurses in the clinic.