New model to complement Kaikoura’s new health facility

18 April 2016

New model to complement Kaikoura’s new health facility

Residents and visitors in Kaikoura will benefit from a brand new model for health service delivery to complement the new health facility, Kaikoura Health Te Ha o Te Ora, which was officially opened on Friday.

The new Model of Care was developed in close consultation with the health workforce and the Kaikoura community over the past 12 months and aims to address Kaikoura's unique challenges and opportunities, including health workforce shortages and an ageing population.

Dr Andrea Judd said the new model will complement the new health facility and give the people of Kaikoura access to better and more timely healthcare.

"As with all Canterbury health system transformations, the aim of Kaikoura’s new Model of Care is to put the needs of our patients, their family, whānau and the community at the centre of the decision making about how health services should be delivered in our district.

“The new model aligns with the Canterbury health system as a whole, while taking into account the unique differences of our community. This will help safeguard the sustainability of Kaikoura's health services into the future.

"In the new model, community based primary care and inpatient services will be better able to work together and we'll be better able to utilise technology, which is great news for our rural community which because of our distance from the base hospital, faces a number of challenges when accessing health services."

The Model of Care is the framework for delivering health care in the community. It identifies the services that will be delivered, how those services will operate and forms the basis for planning for and responding to the health events of defined populations.

The model includes the continuation of all existing services, plus the graduated introduction of a number of new health services in Kaikoura including:

• Palliative, advance care planning and end of life nursing care role
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• Programmes to support people returning from hospital following surgery
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• Day care programme in the community for patients with Alzheimer’s, dementia or who are home alone and require additional support
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• Health Promotion activities
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• Nurse led clinics, including fracture, pre-operative assessment, wound care and other services
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• Holistic and integrated support services
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Development of the Model of Care was guided by the Kaikoura Service Level Alliance, a group under the Canterbury Clinical Network which includes local health providers, members of the Kaikoura community, Runanga representatives and the Canterbury District Health Board.

An alliance has been formed between the Canterbury District Health Board and Kaikoura Healthcare Ltd to operationalise the vision of the Model of Care. Key personnel across the new facility will work together to support the implementation of the new Model of Care.

To view details of the new Kaikoura Model of Care, visit www.ccn.health.nz/KaikouraSLA

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