Mobile medical service to care for Perth's homeless: Minister

13/6/01
Health Minister Bob Kucera has today launched Australia's first comprehensive mobile medical service for homeless and at-risk people.
The pilot program, called Street Doctor, will offer free, confidential health care to street-based populations in the inner city.
Its client group will include homeless and at-risk young people, the older homeless, injecting drug users and sex workers.
The project has been funded with a contribution of $99,700 from the Commonwealth-State Innovative Health Services for Homeless Youth Program and $80,000 from the Western Australian Health Department's Mental Health Division.
It is estimated that there are around 12,000 homeless people in WA - many of whom are in the metropolitan area.
"Research has shown that the homeless not only have a greater than normal incidence of medical problems, but they are also reluctant to access existing health services," Mr Kucera said.
"The Street Doctor program is exciting because it will provide vital medical services to some of the most marginalised and at-risk people in our community in an accessible way.
"Certainly, the service has the potential to see improvements in immunisation, contraceptive use and injecting practices among its client group."
The Street Doctor pilot, which will be run by the Perth Division of General Practice, is the brain-child of Dr Noel Plumley and his wife, Annette Allman.
Dr Plumley has been awarded a Churchill Fellowship to review mobile health services in the United States and Europe and he will bring this expertise back to WA.
The specially-fitted Street Doctor van, staffed by a GP, nurse and an outreach worker, will be parked near the Art Gallery of WA from June 20 to September 7, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.
Mr Kucera said the program's success would be evaluated at the end of six months.
Media contact: Fran Robb 9213 7000