Mental Health Sector Profile - Primary Health Care

Primary sector health care is normally the first contact an individual has with a health professional, for example a visit to/from a doctor or nurse. It is professional health care in the community where people reside and work.

Primary health care covers a broad range of out-of-hospital services - not all of which are government funded. It also covers specialties such as health education and promotion, counselling and disease and injury prevention.

In a Mental Health setting primary health care includes GP and PHO services, health promotion and emergency services.

Mental health promotion is a population based model that targets at-risk groups and the wider community. It attempts to influence and make positive change to the social, economic, cultural, political and physical environments that affect people's mental health.

Primary health care representatives on the Future Directions Network are:

Dr Pat Hastilow - GP, Invercargill PHO
Catherine Street Medical Centre
63 Catherine Street
Invercargill
Phone: +64 03 217 6656
Email: dr.hastilow@doctor.org.nz
Web: www.invercargillpho.org.nz

Andrae Gold - Health Promotion Advisor
92 Spey Street
Invercargill
Phone: +64 03 211 0900
Fax: +64 03 211 0899
Email: andare.gold@phsouth.co.nz
Web: www.phsouth.co.nz

Jan Pfeifer - Mental Health Promotion Coordinator
P.O.Box 828
Invercargill
Phone: +64 03 214 5786 Extension 7994
Fax: +64 03 218 1059
Email: jan.pfeifer@sdhb.govt.nz
Web: www.sdhb.govt.nz