External circumstances like finances, lifestyle changes and difficulties at work can impact one’s health. 
This was one of the central issues raised when the University of the Western Cape (UWC) recently hosted its first-ever Interprofessional Education (IPE) clinic in Mitchell's Plain. 

Organised by the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, the clinic aims to improve access to health and wellness services while, at the same time, encouraging interprofessional learning components when students conduct outreach programmes.

Dr Luzaan Africa, who headed up the three-day programme in May, said patients received health and wellness interventions from students studying nursing, physiotherapy, natural medicine, social work, psychology, occupational therapy and law. 

"The clinic gave patients improved access to health and wellness services, helped students to learn about interprofessional collaboration, and exposed them to a real-world IPE clinic,” said Dr Africa.

“On the other hand, staff could grasp their supervision style better as they moved away from the uni-professional approach to supervision."