Clinical Services
Health Centres
We have 11 community Primary Health Care Centres. Eight of these are permanently staffed by experienced Remote Area Nurses, Aboriginal Health Workers and allied health staff while the remaining three (Patjarr, Tjirrkarli and Tjukurla) are visited by health staff from nearby communities. Our Health Care Centres are accredited through AGPAL and are supplied with modern equipment, medical supplies and IT systems.
We use the Communicare clinical information system. This allows patient records to be available in all clinics, including pathology results, referrals and other information.
For clients accessing our clinic services, open hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9.00am to 12 noon and 2.00pm to 4.30pm, Wednesday 9.00am to 12.00 noon - closed Wednesday afternoons and on weekends and public holidays.
Appointments are not necessary at Ngaanyatjarra Clinics. Patients will be seen in order of arrival unless there is an emergency. Clinics have an on call system for after hours emergency care and in communities where nurses are not resident, the Community Services Manager will be available to liaise with health staff. The Royal Flying Doctor Service provides retrieval services from all communities.
Preventive health and screening services will be advertised. We encourage everyone to contact the clinic to follow up tests.
Fees and Billing:
Our services are free for people registered with Medicare. Some charges may apply for aids such as glasses, hearing aids or special medications.
Confidentiality
All medical records are confidential. It is NHS policy to maintain security of personal health information at all times and to ensure that this information is only available to authorised persons. Individuals have the right to access their own personal health information.
Client rights
NHS takes client, suggestions and complaints seriously. If a concern cannot be solved by talking to any one in the health team, Alice Springs staff or NHS Directors you may contact:
WA Health and Disability Services
Complaints Office
1800 813 583 or (08) 6551 7600
Fax (08) 6551 7630
GPO Box B61, Perth WA 6338
Patient Assistance
NHS’s PATS team in Alice Springs and Kalgoorlie provides support to patients who need to visit regional centres or capital cities for emergency and routine treatment, and medical specialist appointments.
Maternal and Women's Health
The program offers pre-conception education, antenatal and post-natal care, well women’s screening, baby checks and development reviews and is supported by specialist obstetrician and gynaecological visits.
Child Health
This program co-ordinates health care for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years. It includes child health checks, milestones of development, school screening, immunisations, clinical support and advice, support to paediatric visits and surgery, education and promotion, family-centred approaches, education and promotion.
Sexual Health
This program is aimed at young people and adults. It offers screening programs, follow-ups, clinical support and advice, education and promotion to minimise the levels of sexually transmitted infections within the community.
Chronic Disease
We aim to prevent chronic disease where possible, utilising planned and opportunistic health promotion and disease prevention, early detection and careful management of existing chronic disease. Early detection and treatment improves outcomes for patients and lowers the costs paid by communities, services and governments.
Visiting Specialist Services
Ngaanyatjarra Health Service provides a variety of specialist and multi-disciplinary team visits to Aboriginal people living on the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. Specialist services include Audiology, Cardiology, Dental, Ear Surgery, Endocrinology, Eye Surgery, Hepatology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Optometry, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, Renal and Respiratory. Associated allied health professionals travel with the specialists to provide a multi-disciplinary team approach and teams also provide training and up-skilling for staff. Providing these services on the Lands ensures that Aboriginal people living on the Lands have access to health care which is comparable to that offered in regional areas.
For further information and visit dates please contact Bev Tysoe 0400 365 386 btysoe@nghealth.org.au