Award ‘overwhelming’

Nelson woman Annette Milligan started the Independent Nursing Practice in the late 80s because she knew more could be done to improve women’s access to health services.

Three decades on, her work has been acknowledged with Milligan being made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

The public health campaigner said the honour was ‘‘quite overwhelming’’ and was an acknowledgement of the friends, family and colleagues who had supported her throughout her 30 year nursing career.

Milligan started the Independent Nursing Practice (INP) medical clinic in Nelson in 1989. The women-focused, nurse-led sexual and reproductive health centre was one of the first of its kind and unique in its approach, but it didn’t come without criticism.

‘‘There were a lot of people who said it couldn’t be done.

‘‘I just had such a strong conviction that it was the right thing to do that when there was any negativity I just thought, you can’t see what I can see and I just got on with it.’’

When Milligan started the centre, it was the height of the HIV/ AIDS epidemic in New Zealand and when it came to sexual health services, she knew more could be done to make a difference.

‘‘I wasn’t satisfied with the way things were and if you are not satisfied then you either stay quiet or you try and do something that changes it.’’

At the clinic, nurses and doctors worked alongside each other, in different roles but as equals. It was a model Milligan would love to see extended in other areas.

The desire to make a difference in the health sector remained with her and she was optimistic that a ‘‘tremendous amount of expertise was yet untapped in the nursing workforce’’.

Nurses weren’t the only people who could provide care, but Milligan said they were a leading part of the healthcare team.

‘‘I am really hopeful that the nursing workforce will be recognised for what they can contribute and be utilised to the maximum.

‘‘There is still plenty to do, there are always improvements to be made and we can always do things better.’’

Milligan sold the clinic last year and had retired from nursing. But while life was looking ‘‘very different’’ she was still heavily involved in community work.

Since 2016 she had worked with Medical Sexual Assault Clinicians (MEDSAC), where she had succeeded in enabling nurse practitioners to become registered sexual assault examiners.

She is also the chair of Safeguarding Children Initiative, a Nelson trust educating people to recognise neglect and abuse in children and adolescents and is also on the board of Light Nelson.

Throughout it all, Milligan was grateful for the support of her partner.

‘‘You can’t do anything alone, you’ve got to be able to persuade the people around you to help you get to the end line and I couldn’t have done it without him.’’

There were a lot of people who said it couldn’t be done

Annette Milligan