Mitchells Plain Community Health Centre Improves Patient C²AIR²

Mitchell’s Plain has only one Community Health Centre providing a 24 hour service. This facility has implemented the CAIR competition, which was introduced by the department in 2014, as an internal change management tool to improve service delivery and to continually enhance customer experience through the actions of employees.

Mitchells Plain Community Health Centre (CHC) services more chronic patients than any other facility in the Western Cape. This facility serves more chronic patients (on CDU) than the three biggest clinics in Khayelitsha combined.
The influx of patients resulted in the chronic care spilling over and impacting on all other service areas such as the Outpatients Department (OPD) and Trauma. The Department is continuously looking at ways to improve patient centred care especially in the outpatient and trauma units.

Whilst looking at improving and creating better interventions, the team explored how they could incorporate the C2AIR2 challenge. How this challenge relates to Healthcare 2030 and why such an intervention is needed. Also, how the facility can contribute to realising the goals of the sub-structure, the department as a whole, and government’s Health Care 2030.

Jaqueline (Jackie) Isaacs, C2AIR2 Club Champion for Mitchells Plain CHC said, “This project has helped us to focus our resources on satisfying our clients. The service we provide has been improved greatly and they are impressed, instead of us having to react to complaints all the time”.  She said they now have proper systems that  work for both the facility and the clients.

“Clients no longer have to stand long in pharmacy for medication, they receive it here. It is a one stop-shop”, said Health Promoter, Ms Chillestine Hackley.

The new interventions that the employees themselves came up with include: All chronic patients with appointments are now ‘captured’ by the Club system, and seen by a dedicated Chronic Disease Management (CDM) Team. The team consists of health promotions officers, nursing staff, allied services (dieticians, optometric screening), and clinicians (clinical nurse practitioners and a dedicated medical officer). The patients are seen according to the required management protocols as far as possible.

A happy client, Ms Vivianne Weaver called this a wise move. She said there is no more sitting in long queues until very late as it gets dark and dangerous outside. “We are very pleased to get our tablets early”, she added.

“If you come from the doctor, there is no backlog and this saves on waiting time. It is better as it beats backlog at the pharmacy”, says another client, Ms Sandra Jansen. “We feel relieved”.

The result of a more efficient OPD service has also meant that fewer OPD cases need to be seen in the Trauma/Emergency Centre, and that when minor cases present inappropriately in Trauma, they can be referred to OPD, which is a more appropriate service level. This then also cuts down on waiting times. In this way, patients are also learning how to use the various components of the facility more effectively and it gives them a better patient experience.

Mitchells Plain CHC is confident that additional improvements will evolve over time, as the areas for improvement become more easily identifiable when the new system is fully functional.

The facility was opened on 1st July 1986 and renders Primary Health Care services from 08h00 until 17h00. It renders Trauma and Emergency Services, as well as Obstetric services on a 24 hour basis.

Issued by the Western Cape Government Health Communications Directorate