Junction Health, a Health Care Home practice in Cromwell, sends a card, makes a follow up phone call and offers a free appointment with a nurse and GP to new mothers.
Unlike most post-natal health appointments, the focus is on maternal health – with everything covered, from lactation to mental health, and contraception to starting with Well Child/Tamariki Ora services.
“We felt there is a real need for this type of support, that isn’t normally offered to new mums, between the handover from midwives to Plunket,” says Junction Practice Nurse and Co-owner, Angela Ryley.
For new mum Kimberly Duncan, this support couldn’t have been more timely, and baby Lochie is thriving. “Alice [her practice nurse] was really caring and listened to what was going on,” she says. “They put me onto a lactation consultant who got in contact with me the next day and helped me out.”
Angela explains that being part of the WellSouth Southern Health Care Home programme has been a driving force behind Junction’s innovation with services such as this.
There are 19 Health Care Home General Practices in the Southern region currently, with an additional 5 practices joining the programme this month.
Check out these other Better Health South Stories:
Board Update - April 2021
Disability Strategy launched
Suture skills shared
Social support for NICU families
Covid-19 vaccination underway
Wishbone Walk fundraiser
Borewater information sessions
