A Murwillumbah healthcare planning project has taken its next step forward, following a recent Prioritisation Workshop held on 24 September at Murwillumbah Council Offices.

The Collaborative Care Project, supported by NSW Health and led locally by Rural Doctors Network (RDN) in partnership with local stakeholders, aims to improve community access to vital health services.

Health service providers and government representatives came together to review health service needs in Murwillumbah and to identify the most pressing health priorities. After a robust discussion, the Project Group identified three key priorities to work towards.

The first priority is improving the community’s understanding of the range of available health services and how to access them.

The second priority is making mental health services and drug & alcohol support more accessible.

The third priority is promoting preventative health services and the social supports that people need for good health and wellbeing.

These priorities were drawn from a community survey, which received over 460 submissions, and from extensive interviews with local health professionals.

Local partners: Healthy North Coast, Murwillumbah Community Centre, Northern NSW Local Health District, NSW Ambulance, RDN, and Tweed Shire Council will now investigate opportunities to address these priorities.

Collaborative Care Program Lead, Justyn Walker, said the Murwillumbah Project is about providing health services that are sustainable and meet community needs, both now and in the future.

“The priorities that were identified are opportunities to work together to improve the health and well-being of the Murwillumbah community,” Mr Walker said.

“The next step for our local project group is to plan how we will address these priorities together.”

More information on the project can be found online at https://collaborativecare.au/murwillumbah