Links to Health Services & Information

Useful Links to Health Information & Services

The following is a compilation of support, advice, assistance and activities available for individual children and their families that is available from various public and private organisations in the community.

Please Click on the headings below to follow link. This will give you a brief description of information you will find on each website.

  1. Care Plus  
  2. Carer Support
  3. CCS – Mobility Parking Permit Scheme
  4. Yes Disability
  5. Hapai Access Card
  6. Ministry of Health
  7. Needs Assessment Service Co-ordination
  8. New Zealand Federation of Disability Information Centres
  9. New Zealand Rheumatology Association
  10. Orthotic Centre
  11. Patient’s Rights
  12. Pharmac – Practical tips for giving medicine to kids
  13. Prescription charges
  14. Teenagers Health

1. Care Plus

Care Plus is a primary health care initiative targeting people with high health needs due to chronic conditions, acute medical or mental health needs, or terminal illness. Care Plus aims to improve chronic care management, reduce inequalities, improve primary health care teamwork and reduce the cost of services for high-need primary health users.

Talk to your GP about the ‘Care Plus‘ scheme. 6 visits to your GP relating to your child’s health in the last 6 months, or 2 acute admissions to hospital in 12 months are acceptable criteria for access to benefits.   The benefits vary from practice to practice.  (this could include free visits/health checks, to special funding toward things that would help your child’s physical health, e.g. gym/pool concessions

2. Carer Support

Carer support is a subsidy funded by the Ministry of Health to assist the unpaid, full-time carer of a disabled person to take a break from caring for that person.

3. CCS – Mobility Parking Permit Scheme

The Mobility Parking Permit Scheme is an officially recognised concession-parking scheme that supports people to have more access in their communities.

The application will need a specialist’s signature. Talk to your health professional about this. For more information and application forms go to Mobility Parking at CCS.

4. Yes Disability

YES Disability Resource Centre is a not-for-profit organisation, working to ensure young people with disabilities and learning differences are represented equitably in governance, planning and employment.

Our focus is to support, engage and empower youth with disabilities through a range of resources, networks, opportunities and projects, aimed to support the young person’s transition journey, professional development, and overall Hauora.

Free information and advice is given to assist you in making informed decisions on accessing Disability services.

5. Hapai Access Card

The Hapai Access Card is aimed at improving accessibility for people with a disability by working with businesses to remove, or reduce barriers, and displaying the information about participating businesses on the Hapai Access Card website. 

The card itself shows the barriers that the cardholder has when in the community, and provides an easy way for businesses to know that the person has those barriers, without the person having to disclose personal details about their disability. 

6. Ministry of Health

Has links to NZ hospital information on common medications

7. Needs Assessment Service Co-ordination

Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASC) helps people get the support they need to be as independent as possible in their home or community. It is often called “the Gateway” to Government-funded disability support services.

Services may include help with personal support, meals, household management, carer support, day programmes, and the support provided by rest homes and private hospitals.

8. New Zealand Federation of Disability Information Centres

The Federation nationally promotes and supports the local provision of generic disability information and referral services that are community integrated, needs driven and focused on achieving the aims of the New Zealand Disability Strategy Document.

9. New Zealand Rheumatology Association

This site is intended to help facilitate communication between members of the NZRA and improve public understanding of arthritis.

11. Orthotic Centre – Auckland

Our Orthotic Centres in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Invercargill and Wellington deliver clinical services to private and ACC clients, and each Centre is a contracted provider to the local district health boards (DHBs).

Our clinical team conduct assessment, measurement, casting, and fitting of custom-made or prefabricated orthoses and orthotic footwear.

13. Patient’s Rights

All patients in New Zealand have certain rights when receiving a health or disability service.

14. Pharmac – Practical tips for giving medicine to kids

The brochure ‘Practical tips for giving medicine to kids’ is available in multiple languages, for download or for free ordering. Click here for ‘Practical tips of giving medicine to kids’

15. Prescription charges

From 1 July 2023, people will no longer have to pay the standard $5 prescription charge (prescriptions are already free for children aged 13 and under).

This applies to $5 co-payments for prescriptions by approved providers. Prescriptions from specialists and non-publicly funded prescribers will still attract a $15 co-payment.

These prescriptions with a $15 co-payment will count towards the 20 prescription items a patient or family collect in a year. Once a person or family reach 20 prescription items in a year, they can get a Prescription Subsidy Card, which means they will not have to pay any more prescription charges until 1 February the following year.

16. Teenagers Health

Learn more about eating well, dealing with health risks such as drugs, body piercing and tattooing, and handling life pressures that includes stress of anger, conflict, violence, bullying, peer pressure, grief and loss.  It also covers positive thinking, self-acceptance and good communication.