Street Side Medics’ first regional clinic in Nowra is officially launched. Photo: COORDINAIRE.
Two months since opening in Nowra, the newest Street Side Medics clinic has already helped dozens of people access free health care.
Jointly funded by the Australian Government, through COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN and the NSW Government, the Nowra service is Street Side Medics’ first regional clinic, bringing vital mobile health care to people in need.
Operating two hours every Tuesday, the clinic has had more than 65 patient interactions, including consultations with GPs, junior doctors, nurses, paramedics and volunteers.
It also reached a milestone with the employment of a part-time registered primary care nurse, providing continuity for follow-up care and management.
COORDINARE director of Community and System Collaboration Juanita Murphy said colocating the clinic with the Shoalhaven Homeless Hub had been key to its success.
“The Homeless Hub is a trusted provider of health care for people who are homeless or experiencing significant vulnerability, and we know they often have poor mental health, face stigma and a range of other barriers — from health care cost to transport issues and simple unawareness of the services available,” she said.
“These services work well together. When people are at the Homeless Hub, they can pop over and have a consultation. It’s free, it’s right there, and we never turn anyone away — and that removes many barriers.”
Street Side Medics CEO Nicolas Brown said that without strong community support, it would have been much harder to establish the service in Nowra, and the model would be far less sustainable.
“Homelessness and barriers to accessible healthcare don’t discriminate by location — the need is massive in metro areas, but certainly in regional areas as well,” he said.
“Regional areas can pose a challenge to our service, because many are already contending with a shortage of GPs and health care practitioners, and cannot stretch further to volunteering for us.
“In Nowra, we were very lucky in that this is a regional area with a relatively large number of GPs and some very generous people — we were quickly able to staff the clinic.”
Member for South Coast Liza Butler, NSW Minister for Health The Hon Ryan Park, Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips MP, COORDINARE CEO Prudence Buist and Street Side Medics CEO Nic Brown at the official launch for Street Side Medics in Nowra. Photo: COORDINAIRE.
Mr Brown added that working with the Shoalhaven Homeless Hub lowered the barrier for people who might otherwise avoid healthcare settings, creating a safe and familiar environment where they could take that first step toward treatment.
“Ultimately organisations and services like the Homeless Hub are what make what we do accessible, because it’s heavily reliant on trust and connection — and they have built that over the years,” he said.
“It allows us to offer what we call opportunistic health care, in the sense that people are already there to get food and deal with a variety of issues, and we’re there to say, ‘Hey, after you’ve had something to eat, would you like to come have a chat with a GP?'”
Street Side Medics Founder Dr Daniel Nour joined COORDINARE CEO Prudence Buist, NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park and Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips to officially launch the service, which was delivered in part thanks to $2.6 million in government funding over four years.
The funding will expand Street Side Medics’ mobile medical service across the state — a move welcomed by Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips.
“There are many barriers that can prevent homeless people from accessing the health care they need, from cost to lack of awareness, and even mistrust of the medical system. Street Side Medics is erasing those barriers,” she said.
“It’s crucial that people experiencing homelessness don’t fall through the cracks and miss out on the medical care they need.”
Mrs Phillips said operating from the Shoalhaven Homeless Hub ensured the service was central and familiar.
“I drop into the hub often and I know just how many individuals and families seek assistance from the wonderful volunteers. Having access to this care will make a profound difference to the lives and health of local people in need,” she said.
Street Side Medics operates Tuesdays from 10 am to noon at the Shoalhaven Homeless Hub, 93 Plunkett Street, Nowra.
