Arthritis New Zealand is pleased to announce a new partnership with Nelson Bays Primary Health (NBPH) that will ensure those in the Nelson and Tasman Bay area living with arthritis, will have local support and access to services to enable them to a better quality of life.

The partnership will see an Arthritis Educator made available for one-to-one referrals in complex cases as well as offering ongoing community education on arthritis.

This model of care will enable the Arthritis Educator to work more closely with health providers to assist them in becoming more skilled and knowledgeable about arthritis and pain management.

Sandra Kirby, Chief Executive of Arthritis New Zealand welcomes the new partnership: "This partnership is one that will benefit all – most importantly the people living with arthritis in Nelson. We know that most of these people visit their GP frequently. Having in-house expertise on arthritis will help these people to manage better. We think this is a great model for Arthritis New Zealand, GP's and practice nurses."

"Through this partnership, Arthritis New Zealand's knowledge of needs in the community will be very beneficial to NBPH, while referrals from the health professionals will help increase the number of arthritis patients the Arthritis Educator will be able to assist."

"This partnership is a first of its kind, and the hope is that with its success, other Primary Health Organisations throughout New Zealand will be looking to form their own unique partnership with Arthritis New Zealand."

Andrew Swanson-Dobbs from Nelson Bays Primary Health said: "This is an exciting opportunity to work collaboratively with Arthritis New Zealand to improve health outcomes for those people with arthritis in the Nelson Bays region."