Wellbeing day provides primary health care to mental health consumers

On 21 June 2024, a wellbeing day was held for mental health consumers at the HealthOne building at The Sutherland Hospital. The event promoted physical health awareness to consumers and provided access to primary healthcare services on the day. The initiative was a collaboration between The Sutherland Community Mental Health Service and the Integrated Care Unit at The Sutherland Hospital.

Primary health care aims to ensure the highest possible level of health and well-being for consumers by focusing on people’s health needs promptly and close to people’s everyday environment.

People living with mental health illnesses can be susceptible to poor physical health while experiencing barriers accessing services in general. Holistic mental health care, that also considers a consumer’s physical health, relies on working collaborations with a range of external services, and developing partnerships.

On the day, a team of volunteers were assembled from different areas of health to deliver primary care. Volunteers included podiatrists, staff from the St George Liver Clinic, eye specialists, a General Practitioner (GP) providing skin checks, a GP/Mental Health clinician, Keeping the Body in Mind team members (you can find more information about this in the link below*), mental health peer workers and a women’s health nurse.

“What stood out to me on the day was observing interactions that displayed genuine human connection between consumer’s, staff and service representatives,” said Bronwen Iferd, Acting Peer Manager, Sutherland and St George Mental Health Services.

“Consumers got to chat with a peer worker while waiting and grow upon their awareness around nutrition, while enjoying the demonstrations available on the day.”

Of the 16 consumers that attended the wellbeing day, eight required further follow up. Without the event these consumers would not have been screened and would not be able to access prompt preventative treatment.

“I think the physical environment of the space allowed for a for more informal approach to that of a doctor’s surgery which seemed to have a positive impact on those receiving the care,” said Bronwen.

For further information about primary health care visit:

https://www.health.gov.au/topics/primary-care/what-we-do

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/healthone/Pages/default.aspx

*https://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/keeping-body-mind