A reminder about the key COVID-19 prevention messages:
- Physical distancing
- Stop any Spread – hygiene
- Look after yourself and others
- Know the symptoms, get tested if you have symptoms
- Get vaccinated
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Norfolk Island Patients’ Travel Accommodation and Assistance Service (NIPTAAS) Reminder
When your NIHRACS GP refers you to Australia for medical treatment or investigations please remember to collect a NIPTAAS claim form for accommodation and travel reimbursements before you leave Norfolk Island.
The claim forms can be collected from the hospital front office or are available on the NIHRACS website. www.norfolkislandhealth.gov.nf
Please remember that it is your responsibility to collect signatures from the hospital or clinic for each appointment in order to obtain your reimbursement.
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Bowel Cancer
Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, develops from the inner lining of the bowel and is usually preceded by growths called polyps which may become invasive cancer if undetected. Depending on where the cancer begins, bowel cancer may be called colon or rectal cancer. Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women in Australia and is more common in people over the age of 50.
A number of tests are used to diagnose bowel cancer. To read more about this topic, visit Cancer Council website https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/types-of-cancer/bowel-cancer
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Norfolk Island Community Health Empowerment Program (NICHE)
The NICHE program is run by NIHRACS through the Health and Wellbeing office located in the Smithy’s Building at the roundabout on Taylors Road.
NICHE is a free program for people living with one or more chronic (long term) health conditions and is in place to help people learn more about their condition(s) and medication therapy with an aim of improving general health. We support people on the program who may have a goal of increasing activity for fitness or weight management – by learning more about how the body works and responds to health conditions, diet and activity. People participating in the program develop skills to predict and manage events that affect their health.
NICHE supports participants in the program with referrals to allied health team members at the hospital or in the community as well as providing opportunities for walking and water exercising to increase motivation for increasing general fitness and all the benefits this provides.
Referral to the program can be done by the individual or through a GP or other staff at the hospital. We begin with an introduction to the program and follow up with a meeting to set goals and plan the best way to work towards achieving those goals. Sessions then continue at intervals to suit the individual, either weekly or fortnightly, as progress is made towards achieving the identified goals.
Phone us at the Health and Wellbeing office on 22687 to talk about what we may be able to offer you on the NICHE program. There is no obligation to join the program and participation in the program is completely voluntary.
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NI Active Kids vouchers
If you haven’t come and got your child’s NI Active Kids voucher yet for this financial year, call into the Health & Wellbeing office to receive, all you need to do is fill in a form and collect a voucher for the value of up to $100.00 which can be used at one registered sport provider, for more information you can contact the Health & Wellbeing team on 22687 or Maria Massey on 57288.
The local sport/activity providers where you can use a voucher are:
- Touch Football
- Tennis
- Yoga sessions with Candida
- Archery
- Pony Club
- Kids Boxing
- Junior Outrigger Program
- NI Fitness & Health (Gym)
- Golf
- Girl Guides & Brownies
- Junior Rugby League
- Island Coaching & Training (Lou Donald)
- Netball
If you are a local sport/activity provider that is not involved in the program and would like to be, please call the Health & Wellbeing office on 22687 to find out more information.
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NIHRACS COVID & GP CLINIC UPDATE
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Report your RAT
If you test positive on a rapid antigen test (RAT) it is very likely that you have COVID-19.
Report your positive test result by calling NIHRACS on 22091
Note: if you took a PCR test at our testing clinic and received a positive result, you do not need to report it. The testing clinic will report it to our COVID Nurse directly.
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Traffic light COVID-19 Advice
NIHRACS is adapting the Queensland Health traffic light system to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 in our community. NIHRACS is currently on Amber level (Tier 1), see the following advice to help stop the spread.
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PHYSIOTHERAPY HAS MOVED
Physio now has a designated room at NIHRACS.
Physio is now situated behind the top hospital carpark to the left of the NIHRACS Public Toilets.
Physio appointments are by referral from a Doctor and our physiotherapist will call you to secure an appointment
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POSITIVE FOR COVID
When visiting the hospital, we are asking visitors and patients to self-identify respiratory symptoms and phone ahead instead of presenting face to face. To book appointments please phone the GP Clinic reception on 24134 or 22091.
Please continue to help reduce the risks of coronavirus in our small community by staying home if you are unwell, wearing a mask and washing your hands.
If you are COVID positive
* Report your RAT result by calling NIHRACS on 22091
* If you took a PCR test at our testing clinic and received a positive result, you do not need to report it. The testing clinic will report it to our COVID Nurse directly.
* Wear a mask for 7 days after your test
* Avoid visiting hospitals, aged care or disability care for 7 days after your test
* Ask household members to closely monitor for symptoms.
NIHRACS strongly recommends that you stay at home and isolate, until:
• your symptoms have substantially reduced and
• if you have gone for at least 24 hours without a fever, without using fever-reducing painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
You should:
- wear a face mask covering your mouth whenever you are in an indoor setting outside the home
- avoid contact with people who are a higher risk of severe disease
- wash your hands regularly
- practice good respiratory hygiene (such as covering your cough)
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REFFERALS
If you require any assistance with referral bookings for face to face appointments/telephone consultations, or telehealth appointments, please call the GP Clinic for us to assist.
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Visiting Specialists
Ophthalmology 20th – 23rd Jan
Mammography – 20th Feb – 3rd March
Endocrinology – 6th – 19th March
Respiratory – 17th April 2023
The GP Clinic will call all patients who have been triaged by the Specialist to confirm an appointment.
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