The Collaborative Care Program is a community-centred approach to addressing the health care challenges in rural and regional NSW. The Program is coordinated by Rural Doctors Network (RDN) and is supported by the NSW Ministry of Health to provide rural communities with the tools and support they need to solve complex health challenges. Click here for more information.

The project aims to ensure that residents in Liverpool Plains can access the care they need. The project will identify the unique healthcare needs of the community and the best way to address them with the resources we have.

The project will examine how primary health care services in Liverpool Plains can work together to support the health and wellbeing of the community. This includes general practice, community health, mental health, allied health, pharmacy, Aboriginal health, and patient transport services.

Primary health care is generally the first point of contact you have with the health system. Typical examples are your local GP, or an allied health professional such as a dentist, physio or speech pathologist. Your local pharmacist is another primary health care provider, and so is a nurse or a midwife. These health practitioners provide continuing care to patients and coordinate any specialist care the patient may need.

The project group will ask local health professionals and community members what residents in Liverpool Plains need to be healthy and stay healthy. The process will give residents the chance to have their say on the healthcare services that matter to them through a community survey. The group will also interview health professionals who work in the Shire. Local representatives will then identify healthcare priorities based on this evidence and the available healthcare data.

The project group includes representatives from HealthWISE, Hunter New England Health, Liverpool Plains Shire Council, NSW Ambulance, Primary Health Network, WalHealth, Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service, and Quirindi Care Services. The consultation process will collect feedback from the community through a community survey and interviews with local health providers.