The results of a health services survey conducted in Murwillumbah late last year are now in. The survey received a whopping 465 responses, with female respondents accounting for the majority of submissions.

52 per cent 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 it. Others said that health appointments were not affordable.

Most people have to travel beyond Murwillumbah to access some health services they need. Four out of five respondents have travelled beyond Murwillumbah in the past twelve months to access healthcare, and more than half of these people said this made it more difficult to get help. A small number of people said they sometimes miss a health appointment because they can’t get transport.

Some people in Murwillumbah are using telehealth as a more convenient way to access health services. One in three people used a telehealth service in the last twelve months, and the vast majority of these telehealth appointments were with a GP. 90 per cent of people who used a telehealth service said that it wholly or partly met their needs.

Mental Health services are also important to the Murwillumbah community. Those people who accessed mental health services wanted improved wait times, more available services, and more free services.

Survey respondents were particularly concerned about the availability of GP services and the lack of free (bulk billing) options. However, since the survey closed, some positive changes have been made. Murwillumbah was reclassified in 2025 as a regional area, which has improved the financial assistance that GP practices can access from the government. Another GP practice has since opened in Murwillumbah, and a new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will open down the road in Tweed Heads in December.

The survey findings are being considered by local representatives as part of the Collaborative Care Program, which is facilitated by RDN Health and supported by the NSW Ministry of Health.