Rurals
 
 
 
 

 

Public Health
The Public Health Centre has seven specific service areas. These are:

  • Well Child, including infant welfare, vision and hearing screening and school based clinics
  • Decile One school based nursing, provided to Wanganui's seven decile one schools only, this service aim to ensure that the most disadvantaged children are pro-actively supported with access to appropriate services
  • Pre-school Dental Health promotion, targets the most disadvantaged children
  • Adolescent and Sexual Health, provided in urban and rural areas, from hospital, school and community bases
  • Health promotion
  • Social Workers in Schools
  • Strengthening Families

The school based dental service assists the maintenance of a functional natural dentition. Access is by enrolment from ages one to 13 years, services are provided in 33 clinics within school and Kura grounds and is delivered to 9,600 school age children and 2,400 pre-schoolers.

The Visiting Neuro-developmental Therapists provide services under three contract lines:

1. Child Development Services, DSS112 provides the following services to clients within the Whanganui District Health Board:

  • Assessment and therapy to enhance the development of neurological and motor skills function
  • Provision of accredited assessors to assess and supply equipment, wheelchair and housing modifications
  • Therapy services and support for children attending early childhood centres

2. Therapy Services for the Ministry of Education Contracts via Group Special Education

  • Assessment and provision of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy programme for children covered by the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme of funding.
  • Education of teachers and teachers aides to carry out the programmes
  • Monitoring and follow-up of above programmes
  • Assessment and provision of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy programmes for children covered by the Moderate contract funding

3. Therapy Services for contract to service Arahunga Special School cluster group

  • Assessment and provision of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy programmes
  • Education of teachers and teachers aides to carry out the programme
  • Monitoring and follow-up of above programmes
  • Assessment and application for equipment for school funding by the Ministry of Education

Health Protection
Health Protection is Involved in monitoring and investigating issues relating to; communicable diseases, food safety and quality, civil defence and environmental health which includes – hazardous substances, drinking water, sewerage, waste disposal.

Medical Officer of Health
The Medical Officer of Health provides:

  • Medical assessment, advice and treatment of clients.
  • Advice and support to primary health care teams throughout the Whanganui region.

Vision and Hearing Technician
The Vision and Hearing Technician provides:

  • Hearing, vision screening
  • Tympanometry (Ear Function Test)
  • Regular clinics available – service provided to schools and pre-schools
  • Hearing tests
  • 4 th form vision tests
  • After school clinics.

Health Promoters
Health Promoters provide advice on:

  • Nutrition and Physical Exercise
  • Hearing Loss in Children
  • Mental Health
  • Road Safety Co-ordinator
  • Pre-school Dental Health
  • Smokefree
  • Alcohol and Drug
  • Sexual Health
  • Child Injury
  • Healthy Communities
  • Rural Health
  • Health Promoting Schools

Other Services
Other services provided by the Public Health Unit include:

  • Strengthening Families Co-ordinator
  • Social Worker In Schools (SWIS)