What is primary health care? What is the Primary Health Care Strategy? What will happen to the Community Services Card? How do I join a PHO?
What is primary health care?
Primary health care covers a broad range of out-of-hospital services, although not all of them are Government funded. It aims to improve the health of the people in communities by working with them through health improvement and preventative services, such as health education and counselling, disease prevention and screening.
Primary health care includes first level services such as general practice services, mobile nursing services and community health services targeted especially for certain conditions, for example maternity, family planning and sexual health services, mental health services and dentistry, or those using particular therapies such as physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy services. Chronic diseases, such as diabetes are best managed by primary health care services so that complications can be prevented or mitigated.
What is the Primary Health Care Strategy?
The Primary Health Care Strategy was launched in February 2001 by Health Minister Annette King. It builds on the population health focus and the objectives of the New Zealand Health Strategy and the New Zealand Disability Strategy and outlines how a different approach to primary health care will improve the health of all New Zealanders through: a greater emphasis on population health, health promotion and preventative care; community involvement; involving a range of professionals and encouraging multidisciplinary approaches to decision-making; improving accessibility, affordability and appropriateness of services; improving co-ordination and continuity of care; providing and funding services according to the population’s needs as opposed to fee for services when people are unwell.
What will happen to the Community Services Card?
The Community Services Card (CSC) will be phased out over the next 8-10 years. As it will still be needed by many people over the medium term, improvements will be made to make it more effective. Improvements will include measures to: Increase the numbers of people who get the card automatically rather than having to apply. Simplify the process for low income people to gain a card. Make it easier for providers to determine whether an individual has a card.
How do I join a PHO? It’s easy. Ask at your usual family doctor practice to see if it’s part of a local PHO and if it is, make sure you’ve enrolled. You’ll need to sign an enrolment form, which means you're then on the books.
You can only enrol in one PHO at a time, but you can change PHOs if you wish. If you're away from home and get sick, you can still see a doctor in the area you're visiting.
An important concept for people who belong to a PHO practice is the concept of continuity – the added value that comes from a long-term relationship that people have with their health provider.
