The results of a health services survey in Eden are now in. The survey was conducted late last year and received 267 responses, with most respondents being female.

78% of people said they sometimes have difficulty accessing the healthcare they need. Most of these people said they had trouble getting an appointment with a doctor when they needed one. Others found it difficult to afford certain health appointments.

The survey showed that most people travel beyond Eden to access some of the health services they need. In fact, one in every two people travelled beyond the Bega Valley in the past 12 months to access healthcare. Many people said this extra travel made it difficult to get the help they needed.

One alternative solution that many people in Eden are using is telehealth. Two out of five people used a telehealth service in the last 12 months. The vast majority of these telehealth appointments were with a GP. Satisfaction with telehealth was generally high among those who used these services, but many people still want to have face-to-face health appointments.

Mental health services are also important to the Eden community. People who accessed mental health services wanted improved wait times, more available services, and free services.

The Eden Health Services Survey Report is now available at https://collaborativecare.au/eden.

A group of local healthcare providers and support organisations has considered this feedback as part of a project called Collaborative Care. This project aims to address health service needs in the community. The project team also interviewed eight health professionals who work in Eden and listened to their experiences.

Some key themes from this consultation are to find better ways for health services in Eden to work together; to promote preventative health and wellbeing activities that keep people healthy; and to explore solutions that address the challenges of travel to access health services. Local health providers are now meeting to discuss these results in more detail.

The Collaborative Care Program is facilitated by RDN Health and supported by the NSW Ministry of Health. The partnership includes NSW Health, Bega Valley Shire Council, COORDINARE - South Eastern NSW PHN, NSW Ambulance, and local healthcare providers.