New card helps people to choose well

New card helps people to choose well

Have you ever had an out-of-town guest staying with you who needed to see a GP? Or have you needed to fill a prescription on a Sunday afternoon and wasn't sure which pharmacy was open?

A new card listing options for healthcare in Marlborough provides the answers to these and other questions.

Marlborough Primary Health, with support from the Nelson Marlborough Health, created the cards to highlight options for healthcare in Marlborough.

Marlborough Primary Health chief executive officer Beth Tester says the information has always been available on the PHO’s website, but the cards would be handy for people to have in their homes or for visitors to Marlborough to see at a glance what services were available.

Among the information is a list of weekday duty General Practices. A different Practice is on duty each day for people visiting the region and for those who live here but don’t have a GP, Tester said.

The card also reminds people that GPs and Physiotherapists are the best people to see for sprains and strains. You can fill in an ACC form at the GP or physio, and both professionals can refer you for an x-ray if they think it is required. This can save a long wait in the ED waiting room, where people with more serious conditions will always be given priority.

Health providers in Marlborough have been encouraging people to consider which health provider they need to see, in an effort to take the pressure of Wairau Hospital’s Emergency Department. A redirection policy has been in place at the Emergency Department since late last year, which means people who go there with non-emergency conditions are not seen by the emergency specialist doctors but are instead helped to make an appointment with a GP.

“In the past, visitors to Marlborough and even locals have gone to ED to have a dressing changed or for minor first aid, or the common cold. We hope the card will help them be aware of the other options available and to have a sense of community responsibility for saving the ED for emergency cases,” Tester said.

If you’d like a card for your home, pick one up at the front desk of the Marlborough Health Hub on Queen St, Blenheim. Those in tourism or business who would like a bundle of cards to have on hand for guests or workers should contact Marlborough Primary Health Quality Improvement Manager Christine Andrews, on 03 5205002, who will help you out.

ENDS

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