To address health inequality by removing barriers to access, demographically appropriate services are available to those enrolled with Comprehensive Care PHO and who are Māori, Pacific, migrant, refugee or from a lower socio-economic group.
Health Promotion is enabling our enrolled patients and wider communities to be supported/educated to take greater control of the determinants of their health and therefore their future.
We want them to know about:
- their own health,
- know what’s available to them,
- reduce the current inequities between some communities,
- to understand and address the impact of their health behaviours and environments
- and to keep them out of hospital.
We participate in:
- Developing, collaborating and maintaining positive relationships with a wide range of community groups and organisations (We have connections with over 30 community providers! We attend meetings representing Comprehensive Care and hear what is going on in our communities and see if there are any ‘gaps’ we can address and find ways which we can collaborate i.e. promote services to our practices)
- Collaborating and organising health messaging and awareness events
- Distribution of promotional/resource material
- Aligning our activities to our strategic plans
Services provided to improve access to primary health care for high need groups
Community project vouchers
This initiative aims to address inequalities of timely and affordable access for the enrolled population and to also reach the non-enrolled population. A voucher valued at $40.25 is supplied to an individual who may not be able to access healthcare for a number of reasons (such as cost, time, locality) to assist with the cost of the GP visit. The vouchers are held by the following community-based groups: Salvation Army (Glenfield and Westgate), North Shore Women’s Centre (Glenfield), Public Health Nurses (Warkworth and Rodney), Homebuilders (Warkworth).
Radiology
Where an x-ray or ultrasound is required by the GP for the wellbeing of the patient and the following criteria are met, the procedure will be paid for by Comprehensive Care PHO.
- The waiting list at the hospital is sufficiently long that the patient may be detrimentally affected if they have to wait
- The patient does not have private medical insurance
- The patient cannot afford to pay for the procedure.
Skin lesion removal
This service allows patients timely access to general practices for cancerous skin lesion removal. This initiative has been running successfully for more than ten years.
Terminal care
This service allows patients to access home-based, practice team (GP and practice nurse) services at no cost, lifting the financial burden on patient and whānau in the last months of life. Māori whānau, Pacific aiga and Asian families generally prefer to have family members die at home but often cannot afford the practice team services required. Inequalities exist for these people due to the lengthy waiting time for hospice services, resulting in undue emotional and financial stress on patients and their families.
Youth sexual health
This funding provides free treatment and advice, including contraception, sexually transmitted infection screening and health education, on sexual and reproductive health for under-23-year-olds presenting for consultation at a general practice.
In addition, the student health clinics at Massey University have a pivotal part to play in reducing the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections as there are numerous opportunities for contact with students over a sustained period of time. These young people often do not present within general practice. Removing financial barriers for students is one way to encourage attendance at these clinics.
The Massey University programme aims to increase the awareness of the target population (identified as students predominately under 25 years) of the risks and impact of sexually transmitted infections, and to encourage the reduction of risky behaviours through early diagnosis and treatment. Additional benefits include increased opportunity to discuss cervical screening and to screen for partner abuse during a consultation.
We also provide Youth Health vouchers to Public Health Nurses located in Orewa/Whangaparaoa and Warkworth where there is a strong need for extra sexual health services due to barriers such as access (no sexual health services available in the area) time and cost. These vouchers valued at $65 and can be used at anyone of our practices.
Health promotion services and activities
Health promotion delivers healthy lifestyle and chronic illness information across the community, aiming to increase health knowledge across the community and reduce inequalities.
Funded programmes provided by Harbour Sport: Pacific Equip’d, Auckland North
Pacific Equip’d
The Pacific Equip’d programme has gone from strength to strength, and is now in its in eight year. It aims to increase participation in sport and recreation by Pacific youth. Initially targeting Pacific teen girls attending one North Shore secondary school, within the last year coverage at: We are currently in Northcote Intermediate, Northcross Intermediate, Birkdale Intermediate, Mahurangi College and Carmel Girls High School. Most recently, Pacific Equip’d we will be in Long Bay College to pilot in Term 3, 2021.
Comprehensive Care PHO assists with funding to support the nutritional component of this programme.
Participants love making food especially when it’s something they love, for example smoothies are always a hit and the healthy way of making healthy chopsuey using the Pacific Heart Foundation recipes.
“We enjoy Equip’d because we get to be active and learn a little bit more about our culture” – Carmel Girls.
A total of 86 girls attended weekly sessions over terms 2 and 3.