Disability services — Otago and Southland

A disability alert is an icon in our patient admin systems that lets our staff know you have specific support needs and how to meet them.

It is different to other alerts in the system as it usually does not include clinical information. Instead, it provides notes to make sure the hospital environment is made as accessible to you as possible.

Small changes to the environment can completely change a person's experience. The alert can also make it easier for staff to prepare in advance.

All our staff are responsible for making sure your support needs are met during your visit to the hospital — disability alerts help us to do this.

To create an alert, you need to let us know:

• your National Health Index (NHI) number
• your full name
• what you would like the alert to tell us about you.

You can let any of our administrative staff know you need an alert placed on your SIPICS (South Island Patient Information Care System) file, or you can email the information to disability@southerndhb.govt.nz

Disability alert example

Mary is blind and has specific support needs to communicate and move around freely. For example, her disability alert may say:

Mary is blind — she will need her guide dog to be present with her at all times and will need someone to also guide her to her destination. Please do not distract her guide dog as this is a working dog.

Mary would like her documents and appointments emailed to her as she has a screen reader on her computer that reads digital content out to her.

You can use an NZSL interpreter at any hospital appointment. This is true if you are a patient, or a parent, whānau or a career and need to know what is going on.

Let us know you would like an interpreter as soon as you can, so we have time to book one for you.

While we try to make sure an NZSL interpreter is always available, it can be hard to find interpreters to attend in person, especially at short notice. Interpreters are available by video call if needed.

If you feel a hospital worker does not understand Deaf culture, you can email us at disability@southerndhb.govt.nz

Hospitals are busy environments and can be stressful for many people, particularly if you are unsure what to expect on the day.

You may want to wear a Hidden Disability (Sunflower) lanyard during your time with us if you have a disability that is not immediately obvious to our staff, such as:

• autism
• dementia
• a hearing impairment
• anxiety
• or one of the many invisible disabilities.

Our staff recognise the Sunflower lanyard and can provide you with help you may need at the different stages of your time with us. If you are feeling overwhelmed, staff can slow down a process for you and offer extra assurance.

A Sunflower lanyard does not provide a fast track through queues or provide you with a staff escort through the hospital.

More information, and how to get a lanyard, is available on the Hidden Disabilities website.

Hidden Disabilities (external link)

Disabled people have the same healthcare requirements throughout their lives as non-disabled people and need to be able to access the same healthcare services, as well as any specific healthcare needs related to their disability. Health NZ's disability strategy is outlined in the interim health plan Te Pae Tata.

Disability in Te Pae Tata (external link)

Otago and Southland strategy

Health New Zealand – Southern Disability Strategy (external link)

Health New Zealand – Southern Disability working group key notes (external link)