New collaborative healthcare project for Murwillumbah

THE Rural Doctors Network has chosen Murwillumbah as one of five NSW sites for a new community healthcare initiative.

The Collaborative Care project is a community-centred healthcare planning program facilitated by Rural Doctors Network (RDN) and supported by the NSW Ministry of Health.

The program aims to ensure Murwillumbah and surrounding towns have better access to care and that healthcare providers are sustainable.

The project group includes representatives from Tweed Shire Council, Northern NSW Local Health

District, NSW Ambulance, Healthy North Coast, Murwillumbah Community Centre, and Murwillumbah District Hospital Community Advisory Group.

Justyn Walker, Program Lead for Collaborative Care with Rural Doctors Network, said collaboration could sustain better outcomes.

“Collaborative Care is about bringing local stakeholders together to understand the community’s unique needs and how best to address them,”Walker said.

“By working together, we can coordinate our efforts in the best way possible to meet the community’s needs.”

The project group will examine how local health services can collaborate to support integrated healthcare in the community, including hospital-based services, general practice, community health, allied health, pharmacy, Aboriginal health, and patient transport.

The six-month project will survey health professionals and the Murwillumbah community to identify healthcare priorities.

A community consultation process will soon launch in the coming months so that residents can have their say on healthcare services.

“We will be seeking feedback from the Murwillumbah community through a community survey and discussions with local health professionals,” Walker said.

Tweed Shire Mayor Chris Cherry said the project was about ensuring the community worked together on how the best healthcare can be offered in the Murwillumbah area.

“A lot of it is about making sure people are aware of the services available and can refer people to them,” Cr Cherry said.

“We all know that mental health has really been suffering in our area, with repeated natural disasters, housing instability and the general lack of affordability making things pretty tough.

“So anything we can do to make services more available or accessible to people who need them is a positive thing.”