Primary health care
Primary care refers to those services provided for people when they first seek treatment.
For many people this a doctor, health centre or pharmacy.
The Primary Health Care Strategy
was written to ensure that our communities have affordable, accessible and timely
services delivered within the most appropriate setting.
To achieve those results we work with:
- Primary Health Organisations (collective bodies that bring together doctors, nurses
and other health professionals in the community)
- a range of other providers beyond the health sector such as iwi and Maori organisations
- central government agencies.
|
Contact a Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation
|
|
Read more about our planned activities in our
District Annual Plan
|
Recent achievements
|
|
Some east coast communities are too far away from pharmacy services in Opotiki.
|
East Coast Outreach Pharmacy
provides pharmacy advice and updates for local GPs, schools, marae, community groups and individual patients.
|
Helping isolated East coast communities to access and use medications safely and
effectively.
|
|
For a range of reasons teenagers may be reluctant to seek help from their family
GP.
|
More access to school-based clinics.
GPs and nurses provide health education and free, confidential
advice and support on; general, sexual and mental health, preventing disease and
reducing risky behaviour.
|
Helping secondary school students to learn about and safeguard their health.
|
|
One in five people will suffer a mental health issue during their lifetime but services
historically only cater for those with more serious needs. |
Service for people with mild to moderate mental health needs
coordinates counselling and other support for people in the Western
Bay of Plenty.
|
Coordinating free access to mental health services
|
|
The community has valuable knowledge about how well we are doing and ways to improve
our services.
|
A Healthcare Summit and consultation
gathered a broad range of opinions from the community and health providers in the Eastern Bay
|
Listening to and learning from local communities to ensure services reflect their
needs. |
|
Diabetic foot disease is the leading single cause of lower-limb amputation in New
Zealand.
Read more
A Tauranga Hospital Podiatrist reports 34 local people had amputations in 2005-06
and half were diabetic.
|
Free local podiatry services
for those diagnosed with
diabetes and others at risk of or having already developed foot-related issues.
|
Improving quality of life for diabetics through good foot care.
|
|
People with multiple conditions may feel overwhelmed by their requirements for increased
services and contact with health professionals.
|
Bay of Plenty PHOs now provide CarePlus services.
CarePlus provides additional
funding through primary health organisations (PHOs) to provide additional services
such as a longer visit to develop a plan for the patient's care needs, and regular
recalls to review progress.
|
Better care planning for people with complex needs.
|
|
Sometimes, cost can prevent people from accessing health services, particularly
when they have to travel to larger centres.
|
Removing cost as a barrier to care
GPs and their staff are now offering either very low cost or no cost services within
the local community (especially for children under 6 years of age) for families
who could not otherwise afford treatment.
|
Helping people to stay healthy at home.
|
|
We need to continue planning for our future health information needs.
|
Primary health information analysis
Working with community providers to find ways to improve the availability of shared
information between health professionals, within hospitals and the community.
|
Step one towards more integrated and timely sharing of health information
|