Huge Demand for Workshop on Perimenopause and Menopause Exceeds Capacity and Receives Approval to Run Regularly by Tū Ora Compass Health, Health Improvement Practitioners

A pilot to deliver four group workshops across our Greater Wellington region covering Perimenopause and Menopause has seen demand far exceed the capacity, and the Tū Ora Compass Health Clinical Quality Management Committee has approved resourcing to continue the delivery of these workshops.

The workshops are delivered by our Health Improvement Practitioners (HIPs) and cover information for our wāhine who are approaching the time when they may begin menopause and perimenopause to help them understand the changes, how it may affect their bodies and how they can manage these changes. The pilot programs were offered to enrolled patients at Tū Ora Compass Health practices and saw a huge amount of interest.

Tū Ora Compass Health, Health Improvement Practitioner Monica Barnes said the uptake has been incredible and she is excited to be able to continue offering the workshop for more wāhine in our community.

“One course we offered in Newlands and Johnsonville patients had 50 spaces, and were fully booked in 12 minutes, with a further 136 wāhine on the waitlist,” said Ms Barnes.

“The demand has been significant across all our practice areas – we’ve even been asked to facilitate a specific workshop on a Saturday for one of our Kaupapa Māori practices. We are seeing a great interest from our Māori and Pasifika communities too which is fantastic to see”.

HIPs were introduced as part of the Integrated Primary Mental Health and Addiction Service (IPMHA) model which introduced HIP’s, alongside Health Coaches and Community Support Workers. The roles diversify the teams and skillsets available at General Practice to support increased demand and complexity of health and wellbeing needs.

“This is another great example of how our HIP service can support general practice doctors and nurses to meet the needs of their patients and ensure our community can access the information they need efficiently and in a safe environment. The diverse skillset of our practices with these Extended Care Teams means your local practice can support you in a wider range of ways” says Ms Barnes.

The workshop is free for wāhine who want to learn more about perimenopause and menopause. Courses are currently sent directly to enrolled patients when a workshop comes up in their area. If you are not currently an enrolled patient, or your practice is not part of Tū Ora, and you live in the greater Wellington region, including Wairarapa, you can register your interest on our form. One of the team will be in touch when a space becomes available.