Programmes to reduce health risks
Rotorua Area Primary Health Services (RAPHS) offers or manages a range of free and low-cost health programmes and services available to the people of the Rotorua area. These include free:
- Childhood immunisations
- Influenza vaccinations for 65-years plus (February-June), and for people with certain chronic medical conditions
- Referrals to mammograms for women aged 45 to 69 years (BreastScreen Aotearoa)
- Patient participation in the National Cervical Screening Programme
- Rheumatic Fever Prophylaxis Contingency
- Care Plus
- Long-term Contraception
- Diabetes Annual Review and Retinal Screening.
- Whanau Ora
- CVD Screening
RAPHS provides many of these programmes under contract to Lakes DHB, Bay of Plenty DHB and Health Rotorua PHO.
Services to Improve Access (SIA) programmes
We implement several primary health care programmes which have Services to Improve Access (SIA) funding. These are aimed at reducing inequalities among populations known to have the worst health status, that is, Maori, Pacific people and those living in NZDep Index 9-10 decile areas.
The 2001 NZDep results show that 45.6% of the Rotorua district population lives in areas that are considered as being among the 30% most deprived in the country. The most deprived parts of the district relative to New Zealand as a whole include Fordlands, Koutu, Selwyn Heights, residential areas close to the central business district, and the rural settlement of Kaingaroa Forest.1
The funding is for new services or improved access, and is available to patients across the whole Group. Eligible patients may benefit from the following SIA programmes:
- Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Assessment and Management
- Community-based Respiratory Services
- Palliative Care
- Whanau Ora
1. Rotorua’s Patterns of Disadvantage: Rotorua District Indicators of Low Socio-economic Status 2002, Rotorua District Council, 2002