June 2024 Update

Welcome!

As we settle into the chilly months of winter, we’ll have a look at some of the issues Kāpiti Health Advisory Group currently has under consideration. Our major piece of work continues to be the project to develop a “compelling case” for a much needed Kāpiti “polyclinic” or “health hub”, but other areas of work have been underway as we seek to improve access to health services for our district.

Community Health Advisors to Council

Kāpiti Coast District Council (KCDC) is currently putting the finishing touches to its Health Strategy and we have started to develop our role as health advisors to Council.  In the last few months KHAG has made further recommendations on health related actions where we see KCDC could make a positive difference.

Firstly, we encouraged Council members to advocate strongly to keep the Kenepuru After Hours clinic open.  Kāpiti residents use of the clinic is relatively limited as our local Team Medical is open until 9.45 pm most nights and more urgent cases go directly to Wellington Emergency Department, however the clinic is important to us and widely used by Porirua residents.  Its closure would put considerable pressure on already stretched services and advocating for continuation of the clinic at every opportunity is an appropriate role for our Council.

 

With the strong possibility of a winter outbreak of measles looming, we have also recommended Councillors use their platforms to remind people, particularly parents of young children, of the need to ensure little ones are immunised.  While the percentage of children fully protected in Kāpiti is higher than some areas, it is still below the level considered desirable by health professionals and immunisation is important.

After Hours Pharmacy in Kāpiti

KHAG has recently become aware that there is no after hours pharmacy in Kāpiti.  The pharmacy associated with Team Medical, our after hours medical service, closes at 6 pm most evenings and prescriptions cannot be filled in Kāpiti until the next day.

While Team Medical carries a supply of some medicines that can be dispensed to their patients after hours in urgent cases, most prescriptions must be left till next day. We have heard of several instances where people have been sent home from Wellington Hospital or Mary Potter Hospice after 6 pm with prescriptions for much needed overnight pain relief or care unaware that we do not have an after hours service in Kāpiti.  On occasion, they have been left without important medication until the next day.

 

Making Kāpiti residents aware of this is a priority for KHAG so people can ensure they have prescriptions filled before leaving Wellington or before the pharmacy closes. 

 

We also plan contact the Discharge offices at Wellington Hospital, private hospitals in Wellington and Mary Potter Hospice to make them aware of this and the need to ensure patients are aware of the options available. 

KHAG Working Groups

KHAG has now formed five key working groups, each dealing with a particular facet of health, with each group seeking to identify the most pressing needs in their sector and to develop ideas and actions on how these can be improved.

 

Access to Services

Our “compelling case” is top priority for this group but they also have other areas of interest covering the work of all health services in Kāpiti.  Over the next year, a programme of support and advocacy for a number of these will take shape.

 

Mental Health

Mental health services in Kāpiti are spread over numerous agencies and providers and building a picture of what is happening here, the mental health status of Kāpiti residents and what is most critically needed is not proving straight forward.

 

Working with groups including Kāpiti Youth Support, Statistics New Zealand, Te Whatu Ora and others such as Dementia New Zealand, we are starting to identify just where the gaps are but there is still much to be done before we truly understand the situation and can start to advocate for improvement.

 

Population Health

Population health covers many areas, from clean drinking water and safe food to responding to pandemics, to our local alcohol and smoking rules.  In many cases KCDC already has a role and is providing sound services, but we also see there are areas where the input of our experienced and capable team can add value or provide insights that can make a difference.  We are starting to shape up a programme of work in this area and we’ll be able to tell you more soon.

 

Transport

For too many people getting to Wellington or Lower Hutt for medical services is a nightmare.   We are fortunate to have the Kāpiti Carers organisation and the ASK Health Shuttle providing some support, but our Transport group is looking at all options to see if there is any way the situation can be improved.  KCDC has heard our concerns and they are also looking to work with the Wellington Regional Council to see what can be done.

 

Children and Young People

Our Children and Young People’s group has been liaising with organisations dealing with young ones in Kāpiti to build a picture of their current health status. It’s too early yet to make any predictions of what we are likely to find, but it is clear already that childhood illnesses such as asthma, eczema and skin infections are as prevalent in Kapiti as in the rest of New Zealand.

Future of Health and Medicine

At our next two meetings we plan to look at where health and health care is likely to head in future.  Globally there is a shortage of health professionals, with the World Health Organisation predicting a shortfall of ten million health workers by 2030. We are seeing increasing inequity in health outcomes and ageing populations.  These challenges mean innovative and new ways must be found to address health needs.

 

As well as some of the technological changes we expect to see, an increasing trend is to fundamentally change health by moving people from elective and emergency care to a preventative, proactive approach.  This is something we can all play a part in and we will be looking at what is being done around the world.  We will report back on this next Newsletter.

If you have any feedback about the contents of this newsletter, or want to know more about a specific health topic in Kāpiti, please email us at kapitihealthadvisorygroup@gmail.com

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