THE Rural Doctors Network has chosen Murwillumbah as one of five NSW sites for a new community healthcare initiative.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The program aims to ensure Murwillumbah and surrounding towns have better access to care and that healthcare providers are sustainable.<\/p>\n
The project group includes representatives from Tweed Shire Council, Northern NSW Local Health<\/p>\n
District, NSW Ambulance, Healthy North Coast, Murwillumbah Community Centre, and Murwillumbah District Hospital Community Advisory Group.<\/p>\n
Justyn Walker, Program Lead for Collaborative Care with Rural Doctors Network, said collaboration could sustain better outcomes.<\/p>\n
“Collaborative Care is about bringing local stakeholders together to understand the community’s unique needs and how best to address them,”Walker said.<\/p>\n
“By working together, we can coordinate our efforts in the best way possible to meet the community’s needs.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The six-month project will survey health professionals and the Murwillumbah community to identify healthcare priorities.<\/p>\n
A community consultation process will soon launch in the coming months so that residents can have their say on healthcare services.<\/p>\n
“We will be seeking feedback from the Murwillumbah community through a community survey and discussions with local health professionals,” Walker said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“A lot of it is about making sure people are aware of the services available and can refer people to them,” Cr Cherry said.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“So anything we can do to make services more available or accessible to people who need them is a positive thing.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n