The Department of Health has launched a new Bush Nursing Pilot Project to improve access to healthcare services for Victorian farmers.
Minister for Agriculture, Mary-Anne Thomas said the project would be delivered to six Bush Nursing Centres in remote parts of the State.
“The Bush Nursing Pilot Project will concentrate on supporting farmers who are geographically harder to reach, resulting in lower levels of engagement with health care providers,” Ms Thomas said.
“The pilot will take place in East Gippsland’s high country, with centres in Dargo, Ensay, Gelantipy District, Swifts Creek, Buchan and Cann Valley all receiving funding,” she said.
“The centres will deliver additional services while providing primary health, community, clinical, emergency, home-based and referral services.”
Ms Thomas said with a focus on preventative healthcare, each centre would work to identify early risk factors among farmers and their families, and local nurses would use their expertise to provide tailored support to the community across a range of services.
“We know farmers in East Gippsland have faced many challenges and this program will provide opportunities for locals to benefit from more of the services our health system provides,” she said.
“Improved access to health services and support in remote areas is important to ensuring our agriculture sector continues to thrive.”
Ms Thomas said future health and wellbeing programs for farmers in remote areas of Victoria would be guided by the project’s outcomes.
