Introduction

Primary Options Objectives are to:

• Enable Primary Care teams to access new and existing community-based alternatives to acute hospital admission where these are appropriate.
• Build knowledge about various service options including optimum skill-mixes, client/Whanau focus and cost-effectiveness.
• Identify and where appropriate, address communication and service gaps that contribute to hospital admissions.
• Encourage general practice insights into issues and general practice support for reducing hospital admissions.
• Support culture and practice changes required to achieve the goals of reducing the level of acute admissions and achieving integrated services.

A range of community diagnostic, therapeutic and logistic services are provided at no cost (except the initial GP consultation to the patient/Whanau. These include:

• Diagnostic procedures, for example x-ray, ultrasound and laboratory blood tests.
• GP and Practice Nurse home visiting.
• Follow-up and return visits to General Practice locations.
• Physiotherapy.
• Home nursing services, home help and equipment hire.
• Intravenous therapy.
• Rest home care for up to 3 days

Services are accessible 24 hours per day, seven days a week directly or through the Primary Options Service Co-Ordinator. A Call Centre Service coordinates services after hours and weekends.

Primary Options is administratively simple, accessible, flexible and easy to use - accessing services requires one phone call and the completion of a referral form (pop-up PDF document).