New Partnership To Benefit Arthritis Patients In Nelson

New Partnership To Benefit Arthritis Patients In Nelson

Media Release
ISSUED BY ARTHRITIS NEW ZEALAND

Arthritis New Zealand is pleased to announce a new partnership with Nelson Bays Primary Health (NBPH) that will ensure those in the Nelson and Tasman Bay area living with arthritis, will have local support and access to services to enable them to a better quality of life.

The partnership will see an Arthritis Educator made available for one-to-one referrals in complex cases as well as offering ongoing community education on arthritis.

This model of care will enable the Arthritis Educator to work more closely with health providers to assist them in becoming more skilled and knowledgeable about arthritis and pain management.

Sandra Kirby, Chief Executive of Arthritis New Zealand welcomes the new partnership: “This partnership is one that will benefit all – most importantly the people living with arthritis in Nelson. We know that most of these people visit their GP frequently. Having in-house expertise on arthritis will help these people to manage better. We think this is a great model for Arthritis New Zealand, GP’s and practice nurses.”

“Through this partnership, Arthritis New Zealand’s knowledge of needs in the community will be very beneficial to NBPH, while referrals from the health professionals will help increase the number of arthritis patients the Arthritis Educator will be able to assist.”

“This partnership is a first of its kind, and the hope is that with its success, other Primary Health Organisations throughout New Zealand will be looking to form their own unique partnership with Arthritis New Zealand.”

Andrew Swanson-Dobbs from Nelson Bays Primary Health said: “This is an exciting opportunity to work collaboratively with Arthritis New Zealand to improve health outcomes for those people with arthritis in the Nelson Bays region.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:
- There is 530,000 New Zealanders living with arthritis, over half are female and are of working age (15-64 years).
- In addition, the burden of disease – the years of healthy life lost because of arthritis – is estimated as 21,491 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in 2010.
- People with arthritis are 5% less likely to be employed than those without arthritis, based on New Zealand Health Survey data.
- Health sector costs of arthritis are estimated to be $695m in 2010, 22% of total financial costs.
- Hospital costs represent around one third of health sector costs ($237m).
- Public inpatient costs are 42% of hospital costs, and are dominated by osteoarthritic knee and hip surgeries.
- Pathology and imaging together are estimated to be 12% of health sector costs.
- The indirect costs of arthritis ($2.50bn) outweigh health costs around 3.6 to 1
- Arthritis is a painful and unpredictable disease
- There is no cure
- There are over 140 different types of arthritis
- Arthritis New Zealand offers support those with arthritis through:
• Free clinics and self-management courses
• Information and education - including condition-specific seminars and education talks, informative brochures, a quarterly magazine, local newsletters, a website and seminars.
• Local awareness and fundraising - local fundraising initiatives and opportunities for volunteering which is vital to the charity’s success.
• Advocacy and Lobbying - representing the interests of those affected by arthritis to local and national decision makers.
• Research – funding research projects in New Zealand which focus on the cause and treatment of arthritis, complementing overseas projects. A dedicated ‘Research Fund’ is in place to support this.
- For more information on Arthritis New Zealand, please visit www.arthritis.org.nz or call 0800 663 463

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