Nursing Innovation Project Works with Work and Income
Work and Income clients aged between 16 and 24 years have access to free nursing services from the Tairawhiti Innovative
Nursing Team (TINT) from Wednesday {21 July).
The Nursing Team backed by Employ Health, Ngati Porou Hauora Primary Health Organisation (PHO), Turanganui PHO and
Tairawhiti District Health (TDH), are available two to three days a week through Work and Income Service Centres in
Kaiti and Gisborne.
With consent from Work and Income clients, a nurse will be available to meet with anyone aged between 16 and 24 years
who are also receiving a Domestic Purposes Benefit or Emergency Maintenance Allowance.
“Our aim is to help that person and their family, get better access to health care and help remove some of the barriers
they may face,” says Project Coordinator Nurse Diane Williams.
“We may be able to pick up a number of family health issues that are not currently being managed as well as they could
be.”
Ms Williams said the service could be hugely beneficial to Work and Income clients who moved around the country a lot
and had lost contact with their health care providers.
“With treatment and advice from the TINT nurses, and links to the appropriate services, Work and Income clients and
their families should be able to enjoy better health,” she said.
A new pamphlet featuring a comprehensive list of aid agencies, early childhood care centers, doctor contact details and
emergency phone numbers is being provided throughout the Work and Income branches to help inform people of primary
health care services in Tairawhiti.
Reference folders have also been made up for Work and Income Case Managers to enable them to have a better understanding
of health services available in the region.
Around 160 clients would be eligible for the service from the Kaiti Service Centre with another 200 clients eligible
from the Gisborne Office.
“We are absolutely delighted that we now have this innovative service on site. It means our clients can access
comprehensive health services and follow-up,” says Lynne Campbell, Service Centre Manager for Kaiti. .
The TINT nurses already work at Juken Nissho Ltd timber processing plant where they hold-on site clinics.
Over 400 staff at Juken Nissho Ltd can visit the Nurse Clinic which is open throughout the week.
The TINT services came about after a group of Tairawhiti nurses were successfully selected to receive Ministry of Health
funding for an innovative nursing project to improve the health of local people. The funding was specifically for
primary care nursing, or nursing in the community.