Staff at East Tamaki Healthcare general practices have been donning wigs, wings, hula skirts and decorating clinics in a bid to encourage their patients to take more notice of improving their health.
This month, all ETHC clinics have been taking part in a drive to ensure enrolled patients are having the free health screening to which they are entitled. These include vaccinations and oral health checks for children; diabetes and cardiovascular risk assessments and flu vaccines for eligible men; and diabetes checks, cervical smears, mammograms and cardiovascular assessments for women.
By having these tests patients will not only have a better idea of how they can improve their health, but ETHC will better meet its health targets set by the Government.
"Just recalling by phone or letter doesn't always work, asking them in the middle of their busy days to take some extra time doesn't always work either," clinical services manager nursing and allied health at ETHC Gillian Davies says.
"We think that by decorating our clinics and dressing up all our staff for a month may just help us improve the screening data and make patients smile at the same time," Mrs Davies says.
