The Clarence GP Access Project is part of Council’s Health and Wellbeing Plan and aims to improve access to general practitioners by understanding the barriers and enablers to accessing these services in Clarence.
The qualitative research study has brought together opinions and experiences of community members and how they access GP services.
Four key areas of difficulty have been identified with community members finding challenges with service availability, barriers to utilising services, the relevance and effectiveness of the care provided and equity in gaining access to these services.
The report identifies opportunities for community and health service providers to join Council in overcoming the current challenges faced when accessing a GP.
To start addressing these challenges, Council is seeking the support and ideas of individuals and health service providers in Clarence to identify and implement priority actions to:
- Build community understanding and knowledge of what services are available and where they are located;
- Train consumers to be confident to ask their health questions as they make their way through the system;
- Educate and develop individuals to become ‘health champions’ who can help others understand and navigate the health care system.
More information on the project can be found on the Live Clarence website.