Central Coast Primary Care is excited to announce that Health on The Streets (HOTS), a Mobile Health Clinic, will provide health checks to people experiencing homelessness on the Central Coast, from March 10.
HOTS combine homeless outreach and clinical care from a custom fitted medical van that will travel around the Central Coast and deliver healthcare to rough sleepers.
An initiative brought about from years of campaigning for more services for people experiencing homelessness on the Coast, HOTS has been made possible by funding secured through the Commonwealth Department of Health.
Central Coast Primary Care has a history of local homeless outreach and recognises the challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness, with accessing basic healthcare being one of those challenges.
Central Coast Primary Care CEO, Michelle Bradbury, said: “People experiencing homelessness often face a range of barriers to accessing basic healthcare services, such as going to a GP.
“Practical barriers can include disengagement from healthcare services, inadequate or no identification, and poor trust in systems and processes.
“More importantly, personal barriers of illness, including mental health and drug abuse, medication compliance and affordability of healthcare, often means that healthcare is not a priority for homeless people.
“This model of collaboration with existing homeless services and local health care providers such as general practices, allied health professionals and hospital emergency departments, is key to improving the health and wellbeing of homeless people.”
Ms Bradbury said the Central Coast experiences rates three times higher than the national average for length of homelessness.
“The interest from local homeless services, healthcare providers and the general community on the Coast has been extraordinary and we believe that once established, this program can be a whole of community approach one where we can all make a difference,” Bradbury said.
Source:
Media release, Feb 27
Rebecca Muscat, Central Coast Primary Care