Innovation Project Works with Work and Income

Nursing Innovation Project Works with Work and Income

Work and Income clients aged between 16 and 24 years have access to free nursing services from the Tairawhiti Innovative Nursing Team (TINT) from Wednesday {21 July).

The Nursing Team backed by Employ Health, Ngati Porou Hauora Primary Health Organisation (PHO), Turanganui PHO and Tairawhiti District Health (TDH), are available two to three days a week through Work and Income Service Centres in Kaiti and Gisborne.

With consent from Work and Income clients, a nurse will be available to meet with anyone aged between 16 and 24 years who are also receiving a Domestic Purposes Benefit or Emergency Maintenance Allowance.

“Our aim is to help that person and their family, get better access to health care and help remove some of the barriers they may face,” says Project Coordinator Nurse Diane Williams.

“We may be able to pick up a number of family health issues that are not currently being managed as well as they could be.”

Ms Williams said the service could be hugely beneficial to Work and Income clients who moved around the country a lot and had lost contact with their health care providers.

“With treatment and advice from the TINT nurses, and links to the appropriate services, Work and Income clients and their families should be able to enjoy better health,” she said.

A new pamphlet featuring a comprehensive list of aid agencies, early childhood care centers, doctor contact details and emergency phone numbers is being provided throughout the Work and Income branches to help inform people of primary health care services in Tairawhiti.

Reference folders have also been made up for Work and Income Case Managers to enable them to have a better understanding of health services available in the region.

Around 160 clients would be eligible for the service from the Kaiti Service Centre with another 200 clients eligible from the Gisborne Office.

“We are absolutely delighted that we now have this innovative service on site. It means our clients can access comprehensive health services and follow-up,” says Lynne Campbell, Service Centre Manager for Kaiti. .

The TINT nurses already work at Juken Nissho Ltd timber processing plant where they hold-on site clinics.

Over 400 staff at Juken Nissho Ltd can visit the Nurse Clinic which is open throughout the week.

The TINT services came about after a group of Tairawhiti nurses were successfully selected to receive Ministry of Health funding for an innovative nursing project to improve the health of local people. The funding was specifically for primary care nursing, or nursing in the community.

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