Accessing Healthcare as a Rural Australian

Living in regional or remote parts of Australia adds another layer of complexity for patients accessing healthcare. In today’s blog post, we discuss strategies to aid people from rural communities to feel that their needs are being addressed, whether that be for someone from a regional place having services transferred to a metropolitan hospital, or for someone from out bush seeking local care. All Australians have the right to access comprehensive health services, but due to geographical location in part, data demonstrates that regional and remote inhabitants have poorer access to primary healthcare (such as a GP), increased rates of hospitalisation, and increased rates of injury and death compared to city folk.¹ Read on for how to utilise services to your advantage when you live a distance from a major health network.

Are there even sexual and reproductive health services in my area?

If you’re wanting to find contraception, pregnancy options, abortion or sexual health services in your area, contact us at 1800 My Options (phone line is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday), or use our interactive map to search for a local practitioner who meets your needs.

There are currenlty 7 Women’s sexual and reproductive health hubs in regional Victoria, who can help you with information and support on all types of contraception, sexual health testing and treatment, medical abortion and referral for surgical abortion of pregnancy.

There are telehealth services offering phone/online consults for Medication Abortions, where your scripts will be sent to you after your consults. However, you will still need to attend a clinic in person where you can do your blood test/ultrasound scans.

If you’re after some basic STI testing, you can also use the TestMe service.
TESTme is a free service of Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) for rural Victorians aged 25 years and younger, rural Victorian men who have sex with men and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It offers self-testing kits for chlamydia and gonorrhea, which will be posted to you.

I’m unsure if I even need to go to the GP or hospital – should I just wait and see?

Generally speaking – no. If you are concerned enough to think you need to seek help, you should not delay. However, if you are seeking some advice, there are some services that you can access online or over the phone, if travel is challenging for you:

• NURSE-ON-CALL: 1300 60 60 24 
  24/7
  Discuss your health concerns with a registered nurse

• Healthdirect Symptom Checker
  If you have access to the internet, this symptom checker at can make some general recommendations, and you may be able to wait to see a local GP the next day.

• Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED)
  24/7
  A public health service for non-life-threatening emergencies – access emergency care from anywhere in Victoria.

• 1300 MEDICINE: 1300 633 424 
  9am – 5pm, weekdays
  Talk to a registered pharmacist about medicine-related questions (including how to take medicines, possible side effects, and taking medicines during pregnancy or breastfeeding).

• Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Line: 1800 882 436  
  7am – midnight, 7 days a week
  Talk to a Maternal Child Health Nurse for personal advice and guidance. They can direct you to local support services.

• For other pregnancy concerns, many maternity units have a phone line you can call for questions about worries such as breaking the waters or early labour. This may be a valuable resource to help guide you regarding if/when you need to present to hospital.

As always, if you have major or persisting concerns, go to the hospital or call 000 if urgent.

Travelling to hospital for repeat appointments is time-consuming and expensive.

Whilst ongoing care from the hospital may be challenging if you live far away, continuing your follow-up after a medical issue can be critical in ensuring your recovery or making sure your long-term health is optimal. For outpatient appointments, many clinicians can conduct Telehealth appointments (either over the phone or by video chat), so ask your doctor if this would be appropriate for you. If it is important you are seen face-to-face, the Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (VPTAS) exists to provide financial assistance for Victorians who need to travel great distances for specialist medical care.⁵ Check your eligibility on the VPTAS website and then speak to your doctor about arrangements.

I feel culturally unsafe, or I’m not sure my culture will be understood or respected at hospital.

Unfortunately in Australia, First Nations people experience a burden of disease estimated to be 2.3 times greater for Indigenous people compared to non-Indigenous people.² Whilst many influences play into this, an important factor is a lack of cultural understanding or sensitivity in interactions, and First Nations peoples’ understandable trepidation about engaging with a system that historically has been pejorative. In Victoria, the Improving Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Patients (ICAP) program aims to provide culturally-safe care for First Nations people, and a crucial part of this is the role of Aboriginal hospital liaison officers who can provide linguistic and cultural support to patients.³ Victorian hospitals encourage people to identify themselves as First Nations so they can better meet the specific needs of this community; as such, please feel empowered to self-advocate and ask for Indigenous liaison services if you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. If you don’t feel comfortable asking for formal services, even bringing a support person to hospital (such as a family member or friend) can help. Furthermore, many maternity units offer Koori Maternity Services (KMS) which are geared towards supporting First Nations mums through their pregnancy journey.⁴

For migrants and people whose first language is not English, accessing healthcare can also be challenging. You can request a free interpreting service if you don’t understand what is being said – so please do not hesitate to ask for this from your medical professional.

I’m facing a challenge which is more likely to affect country folks.

While no matter where you live, staying healthy can be a challenge – living rurally can bring with it some significant barriers to good health.

• For example, whilst motor vehicle accidents can occur anywhere in Australia, the rates of death from land transport accidents are nearly three times higher in remote areas, and nearly four times higher for very remote areas.¹ Always make sure you are buckled up, your car is well-maintained, and never drive when tired.
• Furthermore, occupational injuries and deaths are more common in rural areas due to practices like farming;⁶ visit the Safe Work Australia if you have concerns or are seeking workers’ compensation.
• Rates of smoking and alcohol consumption are higher in the country generally,⁷ so stay aware and talk to your GP for advice on reducing your intake or quitting.
• Rural folk face distinct stressors which can affect your mental health. Phone counselling services can support you remotely:
  • Lifeline — call 13 11 14 or chat online, for crisis support and suicide prevention services.
  • Yarning SafeNStrong (YSNS) – call 1800 959 563 for a free and confidential counselling service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
• For women living outside of major cities, the likelihood of experiencing intimate partner violence is 1.5 times higher.1 If you have concerns about your safety, some Victorian family violence organisations can be found here.