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Who are we?
Where we fit in
HealthWEST services
Future Development
Enrolment
Community Involvement
The Board
Further Information?
HealthWEST is a Primary Health Organisation (PHO) serving the first
level health needs of people in West Auckland. We work hard to provide
a first class health service for you and your family by supporting
our 25+ practices and our 300+ GPs, Practice Nurses, Pharmacists
and other health professionals. Collectively we provide or support:
- continuing family health care when people are ill
- services that help to keep people well
- maintaining links between primary health care providers in Waitakere
City
- working with and understanding our diverse community
- managing the new health initiatives and health funding on behalf
of the District Health Board, Ministry of Health and Government.
PHOs are part of the Government’s health plans to improve
care in the community. Within the next five years all New Zealanders
will be part of a PHO. These PHOs will work hard to improve people’s
health and help them stay well.
HealthWEST and other PHOs are funded to provide services over and
above standard GP care. These services differ slightly between PHOs
depending on the particular needs of each PHO population. The extra
services currently available from HealthWEST and its practices include:
- School Based Youth Health Clinics
- Immunisation Outreach
- Sexual Health Project
- Diabetes Support-High Needs Adolescents
- Cardio-vascular Disease Project -“Saving lives by saving
hearts”
- Diabetes Education
- Maori Health- Increasing Access To Primary Care
- Pacific People-Increasing Access To Primary Care
- Green Prescription (GRX)
- Smoking Cessation
- CARE PLUS Providing additional support for people with chronic
conditions and other high needs
- Mental Health Partnership
- Podiatry
- Nutrition Services
- Migrant and Refugee Support
- Active Health Programme
- Walking Waitakere
- Falls Prevention-Older People
- Preventing Family Violence
- Continuing Health Professional Education
- Supporting practices to manage screening programmes, e.g. to
reduce cervical and breast cancer.
Ask your practice if you want to know more about these services.
The long term aim of the Government is to gradually reduce the cost
of visiting a practice. This will happen over time as funding becomes
available. The Government is looking to target the most needy including
those with severe illnesses and the less well off. They are also
looking to lower costs for people under 18 and over 65. People who
don’t enrol will not have access to these lower fees.
Enrolling with a PHO practice ensures that you are able to access
the PHO’s additional services and reduced costs (where there’re
eligible). It also confirms to that practice that they should be
the one to oversee and co-ordinate your care. You can still visit
another doctor e.g. for after hours care, a second opinion, or when
you’re away from home. However people can only enrol with
one practice.
PHOs are set up to care for patients and the communities they live
in. PHOs have community members on their board of directors and
involve their community in PHO developments. HealthWEST has three
community directors as well as a director nominated by Ngati Whatua.
HealthWEST will also be asking the community to help identify areas
to focus on. See how you can express you views on our community
involvement page.
HealthWEST is governed by a board of directors with a deliberate
mix of professional and community backgrounds. Follow this link
to meet the current members of the HealthWEST
board.
Please see HealthWEST’s leaflets on
PHOs and enrolment and our page on frequently asked questions.
The Ministry of Health also has a useful website on the Primary
Health Care Strategy and all the related changes nationally: www.moh.govt.nz/primaryhealthcare.
This includes leaflets on “Enrolling with a Primary Health
Organisation” which should answer many of the questions you
may have.
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