Mobile GP van brings free healthcare to Geelong's homeless community

A FREE mobile GP service supporting people experiencing homelessness has launched in Geelong, where about 1,500 people are estimated to be without stable housing.

Street Side Medics officially launched its Geelong van, Danny, on Monday after beginning operations across the region in late May.

The fully equipped mobile medical unit allows GPs to deliver free, accessible healthcare to vulnerable people who may otherwise struggle to access medical services.

Operating in partnership with The Outpost, the service enables people experiencing homelessness to access food and essential supplies alongside primary healthcare at a single location.

Nic Brown (centre) and members of the Geelong Street Side Medics team with the new van. Photo: Jane Fitzgerald.

Street Side Medics chief executive Nic Brown said there was a clear need for the service in Geelong.

“Our aim is to alleviate the barriers that people experiencing homelessness face when it comes to accessing medical care,” Brown said.

“We’ve found these barriers include a lack of awareness about available services, prohibitive costs, limited access to transportation, as well as past negative experiences that have led to distrust.”

Many of the health issues treated by the team may be considered minor but can become serious, and potentially life-threatening, for people living on the streets.

The new medical van, Danny, was named for the late Danny McLaughlin. Photo: Jane Fitzgerald.

Brown said the van’s visibility and regular schedule helped the team build rapport with vulnerable locals.

“We exist to try and access groups of people who otherwise don’t have access to healthcare,” Brown said.

“We go to the same place, the same time every week, we always have a GP on board the van… and provide primary healthcare to people.

“It’s a simple model, but it’s a pretty powerful one.”

Street Side Medics run free GP clinics for people experiencing homelessness. Photo: Jane Fitzgerald.

The van is named after Geelong businessman Danny McLaughlin, who left a portion of his estate to Street Side Medics to help fund the Geelong clinic.

Friends and family members attended Monday’s launch event to celebrate his legacy.

Marlene Liontis spoke about her late friend, saying the van is his “legacy in motion”.

“Every time the medics climb aboard to respond to someone in need, Danny will be with them in spirit,” she said.

The van is a fully equipped GP clinic on wheels. Photo: Jane Fitzgerald.

Founded in 2020, Street Side Medics has grown to support people experiencing homelessness in major cities and regional centres across Victoria and New South Wales.

Street Side Medics bulk bills patients with Medicare and operates a no-turn-away policy, providing free care to those unable to access Medicare-funded services.

The Geelong clinic operates Sunday nights between 7pm and 9pm at The Outpost.

The Outpost is at 42 Little Ryrie Street, Geelong.