Visiting health services for country communities
Rural Health West administers outreach services on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Health. We are the jurisdictional Fundholder of seven Australian Government Department of Health Outreach programs in Western Australia. Rural Health West are proud to support over 1,000 outreach health services across rural and remote Western Australia to improve access to healthcare for rural communities.
Outreach Health Services
Many communities in regional, rural and remote Australia do not have easy access to medical specialists or allied health professionals who can diagnose and treat a variety of illnesses. Providing access to specialised medical services reduces the patient’s need to travel long distances to attend a consultation or receive treatment, meaning they can stay close to their home and family.
Health professionals providing outreach services can apply for funding to cover:
- travel
- accommodation
- meals and incidentals
- administration support
- facility fees
Support may also be extended to provide backfill for public health professionals and under exceptional circumstances a workforce support payment for private health professionals providing outreach to remote and very remote communities.
Please refer to programs Service Delivery Standards for further details. To identify services that are visiting your region, please contact the Outreach team.Outreach Programs
Eye and Ear Surgical Support (EESS)
EESS aims to increase access to surgical interventions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients with diagnosed eye and ear conditions, who have been placed on a waiting list for surgery.
EESS Fact Sheet
Outreach Programs Service Delivery Standards (2021)
Healthy Ears - Better Hearing, Better Listening (HEBHBL)
HEBHBL aims to improve the diagnosis, treatment and management of complex ear conditions that arise in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and youth (aged 0-21 years) by increasing access to multidisciplinary ear health teams.
HEBHBL Fact Sheet
Outreach Programs Service Delivery Standards (2021)
Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Disease Program (MOICDP)
MOICDP aims to support the provision of primary health care multidisciplinary teams to prevent, detect and manage chronic diseases in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples who live in urban, rural, regional and remote communities. Chronic disease is defined as ‘a condition that has been (or is likely to be) present for six months or more’.
MOICDP Fact Sheet
Outreach Programs Service Delivery Standards (2021)
Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF)
RHOF supports outreach activities which address health issues identified in regional, rural and remote locations. This fund places a specific emphasis on the following health priorities; maternity and paediatric health, eye health, mental health, pain management and support for chronic disease management.
Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS)
VOS aims to improve the eye health of people in regional, rural and remote locations by improving coordination and integration of new and existing eye health services and increasing access to optometry services.
VOS Fact Sheet
Outreach Programs Service Delivery Standards (2021)
Follow-up Ear and Hearing Health Services (FEHHS)
FEHHS aims to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander children who receive hearing assessments through Hearing Australia’s
Hearing Assessment Program-Early Ears (HAP-EE) access to the required follow-up
services.
FEHHS Fact Sheet
Outreach Programs Service Delivery Standards (2021)
Ear Health Coordination Program
Rural Health West, in partnership with the Aboriginal Health Council of WA (AHCWA), provides the Ear Health Coordination Program in WA. This program works collaboratively with primary health care clinics and other stakeholders to identify and support activity needed to improve Aboriginal ear health.
Coordination of Indigenous Eye Health (CIEH)
Rural Health West works in partnership with Lions Outback Vision (LOV) to deliver the Coordination of Indigenous Eye Health (CIEH) program. CIEH aims to improve access to eye care for Indigenous patients through improved coordination of service, including improved linkages between the range of services required by patients and enhanced delivery of those services.
Outreach FAQ
Service providers are required to enter a Service Activity Report (SAR) into the Visit Information Portal after each completed visit. See below to download each SAR by program:
Click here to access the Visit Information Portal to enter a SAR.
Access to the Visit Information Portal is for registered service providers only. For general enquires about outreach services we encourage you to contact the Regional Services team on 08 6389 4500 or via email.
Access a Quick Reference Guide for the Visit Information Portal.
To update your Visit Information Portal user details, please complete and return the following form to Rural Health West: Visit Information Portal update user form
Under funding agreements, contracted service providers are required to acknowledge both Rural Health West and the Australian Government Department of Health when referring to services supported through Outreach programs. By acknowledging this support, organisations and service providers are informing the community about how public funding is spent.
Detailed guidelines for acknowledging funding can be found here. Please contact the Regional Services team to obtain a high-resolution copy of the correct logo(s).
All service providers must demonstrate that they have undertaken appropriate cultural awareness and safety training or be willing to undertake training prior to commencing service delivery. A number of suitable training programs and resources can be found on the Cultural Awareness Training page.
The Rural Health West Regional Services team employs a number of strategies to support service providers to recruit health professionals to assist with outreach services. If you need help finding a health professional to provide your service, please download a Request for Recruitment Assistance form and email to the Regional Services team.