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24 Tuesday <strong>September</strong> <strong>25</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
SOUTHERN VIEW<br />
up-To-DaTe HeaLTH care<br />
in an atmoSpHere of old-faSHioned cHarm<br />
After almost three unbroken decades at<br />
Church Corner, Riccarton Clinic continues<br />
to provide GP services and urgent medical<br />
care, treating thousands of patients every<br />
year. In fact, it is the third busiest medical<br />
facility in Christchurch.<br />
That growth has led to them purchasing and<br />
re-modelling a nearby residential property<br />
into a general practice suite, which, according<br />
to the clinic’s General Manager Mark<br />
Darvill “is (deliberately) quite different from<br />
our existing, purpose-built facility.” The midcentury<br />
building, located at 20 Brake Street<br />
is full of charm, period features and has a<br />
calm presence.<br />
Remodelled to be more suitable as GP<br />
rooms, the original wallpaper and Axminster<br />
carpeting have been retained where possible<br />
and beautiful rimu flooring has also been<br />
exposed and lovingly restored. To add to the<br />
ambience, the Riccarton Clinic team have<br />
sourced desks, beds and other items of furniture<br />
that fit with the peaceful, period style.<br />
Mark comments that, “it’s like stepping back<br />
in time. The look and feel of the property<br />
invokes a calmness and wonder in everyone<br />
who visits.”<br />
There are four carparks and a disabled<br />
parking space, ramped access at the rear,<br />
and additional parking nearby. The gardens<br />
are beautiful with many original roses (some<br />
over 50 years old), established camelias and<br />
other shrubs. Indeed, the garden has even<br />
gained a Community Board award.<br />
The facilities at Riccarton Clinic’s Church<br />
Corner site, which deals with both scheduled<br />
appointments, and urgent care without<br />
appointments between 8am and 8pm, were<br />
purpose-built to provide health care in a<br />
modern, clinical setting. In contrast, the GP<br />
rooms at 20 Brake Street offer up-to-date<br />
health care, 9am to 5pm, in an atmosphere<br />
of old-fashioned charm.<br />
To book an appointment at either site, or to<br />
find out about all the services offered by the<br />
Riccarton Clinic, visit www.riccartonclinic.<br />
co.nz.<br />
supporT For aLLerGY-suFFerers<br />
in tHe garden city at laSt<br />
The weather is already getting warmer and the days are<br />
getting longer, but not all of us are looking forward to<br />
the summer. For hay fever sufferers, spring and summer<br />
can mean sore, irritated eyes; sneezing and blocked<br />
noses; sinus infections; tiredness and poor sleep. All<br />
that can add up to time off from school and work, and<br />
reduced performance when sufferers do attend. When<br />
you factor in that one out of every five New Zealanders<br />
suffers from allergic rhinitis, that’s quite an impact.<br />
However, help is at hand thanks to the South Island<br />
Allergy Service which is based at Riccarton Clinic Medical<br />
Centre at 6 Yaldhurst Road. Their team of highlyexperienced<br />
and qualified specialists offer a technique<br />
called desensitisation or immunotherapy, which encourages<br />
the body to build up tolerance to whatever sparks<br />
the allergic reaction. The first step is skin prick testing,<br />
an almost-painless process to identify exactly which allergen<br />
sets off your reactions. Then, the desensitisation<br />
process begins, usually at home and as early as possible<br />
before the hay fever season begins.<br />
However, the Allergy Service team uses this technique<br />
to treat many more concerns as well as hay fever. Food<br />
allergies and intolerances are common and can be<br />
life-threatening. Some symptoms such as hives, eczema,<br />
nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea are obvious, but other<br />
symptoms, especially in children, can be confused as<br />
general eczema, reflux or colic. Testing and accurate<br />
diagnoses can put a parents’ mind at rest, and immunotherapy<br />
can begin a gentle process to reduce the<br />
allergic reaction.<br />
Other allergens can be found in the air that we breathe.<br />
Dander from the much-loved family pet, dust mites and<br />
mould can result in rashes, swollen eyes and asthma.<br />
Trying to avoid these triggers is a great solution, but not<br />
always possible, so again, accurate diagnoses will help<br />
determine just what is the cause and what can be done<br />
to minimise symptoms<br />
Find out more about their services and this effective<br />
and potentially life-changing technique at www.allergyservice.co.nz.